When he served in the U.S. Army in Korea, Merrill Newman MBA ’67 trolled the Yellow Sea for unfamiliar fish, one of which was later named for him: Liparis Newmani.

Back home, Merrill earned a master’s degree and teaching credential at Stanford and used them to teach for a decade. Leaving high school teaching in 1956, Merrill worked for a series of technology companies, first in manufacturing and then in finance. As CFO of several high growth private and public companies, he was always a bike ride from home. In retirement he worked in venture consulting, where he was active until the end.

Having a keen interest in Korea and the people he fought for as a young man, at age 85, Merrill, and a friend arranged for a guided tour of North Korea. Upon boarding a plane for his flight home, Merrill was arrested on unspecified charges, presumably stemming from his military service 60 years earlier. Through the efforts of many, he was reunited with his family after being held incommunicado for six weeks in the DPRK. The story was covered by national media.

Merrill died on January 17, 2022, survived by his wife of 63 years, son, and two grandsons.