John Y. Merrell, tax lawyerJohn Y. Merrell, a tax lawyer who practiced in the Washington area for 60 years, died May 16 at Virginia Medical Center in Arlington of aspiration pneumonia. He was 93. Mr. Merrell began practicing in the late 1940s. He started his own firm, located first in Washington and later in McLean, and represented clients from across the region and the country in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Merrell retired in 2008. His son, John Y. Merrell Jr. — who joined the practice in 1978 — continues to operate the Merrell and Merrell firm in McLean. John Yates Merrell was born and raised in Brigham City, Utah. He left Utah in 1938 to serve in Germany and what is now Poland on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Merrell graduated from Brigham Young University in 1942 and received a law degree from George Washington University in 1948. He served as bishop of the Arlington ward of the LDS Church during the 1980s. His wife of 67 years, Marjorie Clark Merrell, died in 2010. Survivors include four children, John Y. Merrell Jr. of Vienna, Joseph C. Merrell of Suffolk, Va., Karen M. Stringham of Oakton and David C. Merrell of Ashburn; a brother; 20 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. |