Merrill Andrew Carrigan

Merrill Andrew Carrigan of Rush County, Indiana, aged 91, passed away on March 4, 2026, at his home surrounded by his children.

Merrill spent his life as an educator, both by nature and by profession. He began teaching at Rushville High School, later known as Rushville Consolidated High School, in 1958 and remained there for 33 years. While teaching, he earned a Master of Arts in Education from Ball State University. He taught biology to hundreds of students and was deeply respected by colleagues throughout his career at RCHS.

Beyond the classroom, Merrill was a dedicated community leader and naturalist. He held prominent roles in the Rushville Historical Society, Milroy Presbyterian Church, Milroy United Methodist Church, the Moscow Bridge Festival, Orange Township, and McCarter Cemetery. Beginning in 2006, he organized and coordinated a community blood drive in Milroy for more than 12 years, earning recognition from the Indiana Blood Center in 2015 for achieving the state’s highest participation rate. A lifelong blood donor himself, he gave 14 gallons of his rare blood type.

Merrill’s love of the outdoors began in his youth in Dayton, Ohio, and remained a constant throughout his life. Community members frequently sought his help identifying plants, animals, and insects, and he was known for rescuing wildlife. On the family farm in southwest Rush County that he shared with his wife, Patricia, he raised crops and livestock, later taking full responsibility for the farm in 1975. He practiced advanced conservation methods and was named a Conservation Farm Master Farmer. He and his family received the Hoosier Homestead Award for more than 150 years of continuous family farming on the same land.

An entrepreneur at heart, Merrill operated Hill Forest Day Camp in the 1960s and 1970s, teaching children about wildlife, nature, crafts, archery, and life skills. He also grew and sold Christmas trees for many years and, after retiring from teaching, founded and managed the Flatrock Hunting Preserve, where he guided hunters, trained dogs, and provided hunter education for youth.

Merrill met Patricia Boring (1934–2020) at Earlham College. They married shortly after his graduation in 1957 and moved to Milroy in 1958. Together they raised five children: Shaun Carrigan (1958–2021), Lisa Szentes (Mark), Sarah Carrigan (Alex Bailey), Susan Morrill (Allen), and Alison Hill (Greg). Merrill and Pat took great joy in their nine grandchildren, who cherish memories of playing in the river, riding on the ranger, learning to drive tractors, doing chores, roasting marshmallows, listening to their grandfather’s stories, and making music with his homemade gut bucket bass.

Merrill was preceded in death by his wife Pat, son Shaun, parents Merrill L. Carrigan and Margaret Carrigan, brother Warren Carrigan, and sister Carolyn Wells.