Merle Maxwell Ackley

September 21, 1926 – December 26, 2017

Merle was born Sept. 21, 1926 in Glendive, Mont. to Carroll and Nellie Ackley. He was the seventh of 10 children. He passed away in Los Angeles on Dec. 26, 2017 at the age of 91.

His family moved from Montana to the suburbs of Seattle, where he graduated from Edmonds High School in 1944. Merle worked at Boeing until he joined the Army in 1945. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands, and was honorably discharged in 1946. He earned his teaching degree in Western Washington College of Education in Bellingham. He coached football and basketball at Chimacum.

Merle moved to Moses Lake in 1954 and started the football program at Chief Moses Junior High School. He was head football and assistant basketball coach at Chief Moses until 1960. He worked at both Moses Lake junior high schools as a teacher, student counselor, vice principal and principal. He was principal of Frontier Junior High School from 1966 until he retired in 1981.

Merle led a long and fulfilling life in Moses Lake. He was a Presbyterian who loved his coffee and enjoyed playing poker. He treasured his many friends here, and somewhat reluctantly moved to Los Angeles to spend this last three years of his life with his daughter Alana and three grandchildren Annick, Malia and Degefe. Other survivors include one sister Willa Ray and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash. on a date that will be announced.