Remembering Mark Mervick

It was near the beginning of the 21st Century when I met Mark Mervick for breakfast one morning at the Bruegger’s on McKnight Road. By that point we had shared several email exchanges and he had shared a few audio and paper items with me through the use of the PO Box I had at the time. When he figured out that we, in fact, both received mail at our home addresses out of that same post office, he had me located within minutes. That’s likely because “Merv”, or “Murry” depending from where you knew him, spent 20+ years as an emergency services dispatcher for Ross Township. His knowledge of streets in Ross and West View would have put Rand McNally to shame. Thus began years worth of regular phone calls either with hot tips for this site, my thoughts on the state of broadcasting, or to make sure I was going to be some place for dinner on a holiday.

Mr. Mervick died on December 23 after a brief illness, one day after his 69th birthday – a date he was not shy to tell you he shared with KDKA-AM (1020; W261AX 100.1) morning host, Larry Richert!

Merv spent time on the air around town too. Prior to working for the township, he spent a short time in Kansas City. Toward the end of his dispatcher position which would then fall under Allegheny County 911, he was on the air for WHJB (620 Greensburg) and WBCW (1530 Jeannette) working for Robert and Ashley Stevens’ Broadcast Communications, Inc. But the drive to Greensburg eventually grew tedious and with the dispatcher job terminated, Merv found himself working at Renda Broadcasting as the production manager for WSHH (99.7), WJAS (1320) and WPTT (1360 McKeesport). Additionally, he would occasionally fill-in on the air on Wish.

He admired several of the greats in the business too. Locally, O’Brien and Garry were particular favorites as was the other “Larry and John” pairing, that of the aforementioned Richert and Shumway. On the national level he was a diehard fan of Rush Limbaugh.. not as much for what he said (although I’m sure he didn’t disagree) but for the on-air style he used.

After being shown the door at RBC, Merv put his map skills to use driving flower deliveries for the late Herman Heyl Florist. Every now and again, the flower truck would drop by my driveway. I would get all excited that someone thought so highly of me to send a “Forget-me- n…” er.. uh.. yeah, I wasn’t getting flowers. It was typically a freshly burned CD of an aircheck recorded on reel years prior… something like THIS. (You might be able to tell from the recording he was a fan of James Garner whom he once tracked down when the actor was filming a movie here in the North Hills.)

Over the years our worlds got smaller when we realized how many people we knew, or knew someone who knew someone else we knew – in or outside of radio. But even though it was about 25 years apart, we grew up in the same community and it was bound to happen.

Our last conversation was on October 6, 2022, I happened to be “on scene” at an apartment fire in a building near my office and posted a live video to my Facebook page. As I was getting ready to open our building as a shelter, I noticed Merv commented on the post. It was the first time in a year I had heard something from him so I took the opportunity to call while I could. While he seemed to lack the steam and enthusiasm he normally carried, he still managed to ask me my thoughts on the current state of radio. We spoke for about 15 minutes. I asked him a few times how he was, but he said he was fine and would change the subject. If I had truly felt it was the last time we would talk, I would have made the call last longer.

I have and will continue to miss your calls, my brother! I know every time I hear an outdated commercial on the air, I will hear you scream. Rest in peace, and for heaven’s sake let Mr. Garner do the same!