Jerry was born Sept. 10, 1948, in Mitchell, S.D., to Vernon and Mildred Merriman. He was the youngest of two children. Jerry often shared fond memories of his childhood, which was filled with sleepovers with cousins at his grandparents’ farm, fun in the snow-filled winters of South Dakota, making traditional Norwegian lefse with his mother and pheasant hunting with his father.
Jerry graduated from Mitchell High School in 1966 and spent one year at the University of South Dakota before transferring to the University of Oklahoma. It was at OU where he earned a degree in architecture in 1971 and began his lifelong love of Oklahoma Sooners football.
While in Norman, he also met a pretty girl who he always said was out of his league but it turns out they were made for each other. Jerry and Debra Davenport were married in 1970. Soon, they settled in Dallas where they raised two children, Craig and Paige.
In 1987, they founded their architecture firm Merriman Associates/Architects. In 33 years of running the firm, Jerry was instrumental in the shaping of downtown Dallas with more than 40 projects covering nearly every downtown neighborhood. When he retired in 2020, the company had grown to more than 100 employees with offices in three cities. Jerry had a great talent and passion for restoring historic buildings and felt truly lucky to love his profession and daily work. Among his favorite projects were the Statler Hotel, Mosaic and The National. Jerry’s success was built on his love of people, a deep sense of community and a genuine connection with his employees and their families. He was proud to instill a strong culture of family in his firm, which is reflected in the lifelong relationships he built and cherished.
Jerry served on the boards of Downtown Dallas, Inc., Preservation Dallas and the OU College of Architecture’s Board of Visitors. His many industry accolades include the OU College of Architecture’s Distinguished Alumni Award; the 2019 Downtown Dallas, Inc. Chairman’s Award; the 2019 Topping Out Visionary Award; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dallas Business Journal. In 2018, MAA received the Firm of the Year Award from AIA Dallas. Last year, Jerry received the OU Regents’ Alumni Award, one of the university’s most prestigious honors, in recognition of his exceptional achievements and transformational support.
Jerry’s biggest passion was his family and friends. He said his favorite season of life started when he and Deby became grandparents. Most weekends, you would find them at a soccer field, baseball field or basketball court cheering on one of their five grandsons. Nothing brought Jerry more joy than spending time with the people he loved, and he was always planning the next adventure for them to experience together. When he wasn’t cheering on his beloved Sooners, you could find him drinking Maker’s 46 by the lake, hanging out with his grandsons or heading off to his next pheasant hunting or fly-fishing trip with friends.
Jerry had a fun-loving nature with a quick and sarcastic sense of humor. He cared deeply about people and was often working behind the scenes to help someone who needed an extra hand. His generosity was second to none, and his impact could be seen through his work at the Salvation Army Angel Tree, his life-changing scholarships for students, his time spent mentoring colleagues and his faithful philanthropy to his favorite causes.
His humor, love of people and commitment to his family will be greatly missed. It will also be a little quieter in Memorial Stadium this fall without Jerry there to cheer on his Sooners.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Debra Davenport Merriman, their children, Craig Merriman and Paige (Ryan) Vincent, both of Dallas. He is survived by his five grandchildren: Grant, Nolan and Clark Merriman and Reid and Blake Vincent. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Mildred Merriman, and sister Constance (Allan) Oberembt.
A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held at Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75205 on Wednesday, June 7th, at 3:00 with a reception to follow at The National , 1401 Elm Street, Dallas, TX, 75202. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, Jerry’s family invites donations to the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture’s “Merriman Family Memorial Scholarship Fund.” Donations may be made online here.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at dignitymemorial.com for the Merriman family.
Jerald Ray Merriman
September 10, 1948 – May 25, 2023
Associate Professors Lee Fithian, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Pober have published a chapter in the recently released New Perspectives in Indoor Air Quality, published by Elsevier. Their contribution, titled “Chapter 16 – Architecture and the Challenges of Indoor Air Quality,” examines the relationship between architecture and indoor air quality.
Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, Assistant Professor of Regional and City Planning, has been selected to serve as Co-Chair of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Planners of Color Interest Group (POCIG) for the 2025–2027 term.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Tahsin Tabassum, a recent graduate of the college’s Master of Regional and City Planning program and current doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine, for receiving the prestigious 2024–2025 American Planning Association (APA) Outstanding Student Award.
