Martell Delano Lamar Merrill (Grand Rapids)

Our son, brother, grandson, and nephew Martell Merrill made his transition to Heaven on June 10, 2023. He was born May 12, 1988, in Saginaw, Michigan to the loving care of his parents Kacinea Merrill and Lavern Coates. They survive him, as does his father Leon (Angela) Cotton.

Disarmingly kind and charming, loyal to a fault, polite but emboldened to speak his mind when it mattered – Martell embodied the best of us.

From an early age, it was clear that Martell was an extraordinary soul. We didn’t need to teach him the importance of sharing; he did so naturally. He didn’t need instruction on showing compassion toward others; he was a natural empath. It was befitting that he was the oldest child as he was the consummate big brother showing remarkable patience and an infectious energy that has deeply influenced all his siblings, but especially his younger brother Lavern Jr. At the age of 12 he’d rise early on Sundays to walk to church, going so frequently that his younger brother inquired about where he was going and eventually felt compelled to follow.

That was the essence of Martell; he moved quietly but decidedly. Whether giving food to neighbors, helping a single mother with necessities for her children, or developing his own personal relationship with God, he didn’t announce his good deeds, he just did them. And though he took these things seriously, he didn’t take himself too seriously. His siblings fondly remember his sense of playfulness, from pop bottle fights to the time they buried their Aunt Nella on the beach of Lake Michigan and put a potato chip on top to attract the seagulls!

In 2007 Martell graduated from Lee High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he was a dominant basketball player often featured in the local newspaper for his outstanding skills on the court. He continued his education at Grand Rapids Community College before venturing to Las Vegas, Nevada where the entrepreneurial skills and social savvy he exhibited at a young age would propel him in his work as a marketer and promoter. In Las Vegas, his generosity and kindness would endear him to people he met from around the world. Ever the optimist, Martell would always see the good in a person or situation. Some would say he was loyal to a fault, while others contend that he simply had a big heart and the refreshing hope that people would be their best selves.

Martell leaves to cherish his memory, his parents, Kacinea Merrill, Lavern Coates, and Leon (Angela) Cotton; sisters, Uniqwa (Donald) Coates-Addison, London Coates, and Denishreon Washington; brothers, Lavern Coates Jr. “Moo”, Brian (Jenea) Earvin Jr., Javon Coates, Justin Coates, and Corion Adams; grandmother, Linda Ware; great-grandmother, Mildred Burton; aunts, Sabrina Merrill and Stephanie Burton; uncles, Robert Merrill and Stephone Burton; stepmother, Theresa Harris, and many other aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives, and friends. He is also survived by his Aunt Nella (Brandi Coates) who especially loved him.

Martell was preceded in death by his grandparents, Dorothy Anderson, Cager Merrill, Willie Ware Jr.; aunt, Renisha (Nikki) Merrill; and uncle, Bobby (BJ) Merrill.

To Martell: though we are deeply saddened by your passing, we are grateful to have had the privilege of having you with us for 35 years. Our hope for you is that you experience unimaginable joy and peace as we entrust you to God’s care.