March 26, 1936 –

Oct. 16, 2011

The funeral service for Merlin Ralph Strickland, 75, of Havana, Fla., will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011 at Faith Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jim Sanders officiating, and will conclude at the chapel. The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. before the service.

Merlin was born March 26, 1936 in Grady County, Ga., the son of Ed and Estelle Strickland. He died Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

He attended Attapulgus High School and was a U.S. Army veteran. He owned and operated Strick’s Auto Service in Tallahassee for over 30 years, and was best known for carburetor repairs. He was appreciative of the loyal customers that kept him in business for all those years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Heywood Strickland; and two sisters Wynona Scarborough, and Claudia Mae Pursley.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Eleanor Strickland of Havana; a son, Richard Strickland of Havana; three brothers, Louis (Benny) Strickland and Winston Strickland (wife Barbara), all of Attapulgus, and Charles Scarborough (wife Deborah) of Tallahassee; four sisters, June Solomon (husband Robert) of Jacksonville, Fla., Irene Strickland of Attapulgus, Violett Strickland of Jacksonville, and Annabelle Burns (husband Jerry) of Calhoun, Fla.

Faith Funeral Home of Havana is in charge of arrangements.