MERKEL EDWARD A. Of Stanton Heights, formerly of Bloomfield, on Saturday, February 20, 2016, age 87. Beloved husband for 60 years of the late Lavern C. "Hutch" Merkel; father of Edward M. Merkel, Karin Merkel Schaffner and the late Paul V. Merkel; grandfather of Stacy Ray (Noel), Brian Baker (Debbie) and Christina Schaffner; great-grandfather of Brian, Falyn, Noah, Lily, Jacob, Ryan and Gabriel; brother of Margaret Schreiber, Marion Altenbaugh, and the late Helen Miller; also survived by many nieces and nephews. Ed retired for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire after 35 years of service with the rank of Captain. He was a member of Pittsburgh Firefighters Local #1, Veteran Firefighters Assn. of Pittsburgh and the International Association of Firefighters AFL, CIO, CLC. Ed was a US Navy Veteran, 1945-1955. He was a member of the American Legion and the VFW. Ed and Hutch enjoyed traveling and took many cruise vacations to various parts of the world. They also enjoyed their frequent trips to Atlantic City, Las Vegas and their many bus trips to the casinos in Pennsylvania, New York and Canada. At the anniversary dinner at the LaMont, Ed put his arm around Hutch and said "Sixty wonderful years honey; it was one hell of a ride wasn't it?" Friends received at McCABE BROS., INC. FUNERAL HOME, 5300 Penn Avenue, Bloomfield on Wednesday and Thursday, 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. where Funeral will commence on Friday at 9 a.m., followed by Mass of Christian Burial at St. Maria Goretti Church, Friendship campus at 10 a.m. www.mccabebrothers.com Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb