Obituary of Merrill K Bastian

  Merrill K Bastian, 87, of Caldwell, passed away on May 1, 2023 after a battle with cancer.

  Merrill was born on August 27, 1935 in Bicknell, UT to Gearson McKay Bastian and Reta Mangum. Merrill attended Meridian High School where he played basketball and ran track.  

In 1956 he married Darlene Dowdle and went on to have 6 children, Brent (Linda) Bastian, Deborah (Alan) Ward, Brenda (Roger) Knutson, Annette (Craig) Miller, Julie (Brian) Homer and Steven (Erin) Bastian. He was proud of his role as a father, grandpa, and great grandpa to his 6 children and their spouses, 23 grandchildren, and 52 great-grandchildren and counting.   

  Merrill spent his career working in construction, building many homes in the Boise and Meridian area.  He worked as an onsite project manager on many projects in the West.  One of his favorite assignments was building the first McDonald’s in Meridian.  Finished his working career as a Physical Facilities Manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

  Merrill was blessed to spend this life doing what he loved most, serving others.  He used his talents to build and repair things for others in need which earned him the nickname of “The Fix-It Man”.  He enjoyed riding his 4-wheelers and spending time with family, especially the children.  He would take them out to the shop to build something or to sharpen nails on the grinder and make sparks fly.  He taught his children the importance of working hard and a job well done.  He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed serving throughout his life in a number of callings. This included many leadership roles in addition to serving as the bishop of the Caldwell 5th Ward.

  Merrill was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Lewis.  He is survived by his wife, Darlene, brothers Stanley, Roger, and sister Gaylene, 6 children, 23 grandchildren and 52 great grandchildren. 

  A viewing for friends and family will be held on Friday, May 5, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Montana Avenue Building [4509 S Montana Avenue Caldwell, ID] as well as Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 9:30 - 10:45 am at the Linden Road Building [11792 Linden Road Caldwell, ID].  Funeral services will begin at 11:00 am with interment to follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Caldwell, Idaho.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make donations to a charity of your choice. 

  To view the live stream of Merrill's funeral service please copy and paste the following link into your search bar:

https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/440663136