09/18/2026
Memorial Service for Lt. Col. Richard O. “Dick” Merritt, USMC (Ret.) “The Colonel”
The community is invited to gather on Saturday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park in Aspen to honor the life and service of Lt. Col. Richard O. “Dick” Merritt, USMC (Ret.), a longtime Aspen resident whose life was deeply woven into the community he loved.
Known affectionately as “The Colonel,” Dick lived a life defined by devotion to family, country, community, and service. He was a proud United States Marine, husband and father, member of Aspen’s ski community, civic leader, and tireless supporter of veterans and local organizations.
The Aspen Fire Department and Aspen Fire Honor Guard will play a central role. Dick’s urn will arrive aboard Aspen Fire Engine 1, accompanied by members of the Honor Guard. Rick Balentine, President of the Aspen Fire Honor Guard, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
An Honorary Member of the Aspen Fire Honor Guard, Dick proudly stood alongside fellow members at ceremonies honoring veterans, fallen first responders, and those who served. His presence at September 11th, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day observances reflected his deep commitment to ensuring that service and sacrifice were never forgotten.
The service will include tributes from family, friends, and community members, a Pitkin County proclamation, an Elks Lodge fraternal tribute, and U.S. Marine Corps military funeral honors, including the ceremonial folding and presentation of the American flag. The Aspen Police Honor Guard and VFW Post 100 will also participate, with the VFW providing the r***e volley.
Following the ceremony, “The Colonel” will make his final journey through Aspen aboard Fire Engine 1, with the Aspen Fire Honor Guard at his side, before concluding at Aspen Grove Cemetery, where Dick will be laid to rest beneath the aspens, as he requested, in the valley he loved, served, and called home.
All whose lives were touched by Dick Merritt are warmly invited to gather as we remember a remarkable life and pay final tribute to a Marine, husband, father, friend, community leader, and fellow veteran whose commitment to service never wavered. Semper Fidelis, Colonel
