Kent Desmond Mercer of Southampton Dies September 11 - 27 East
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Obituaries / Southampton Press / 2027842

Kent Desmond Mercer of Southampton Dies September 11

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Kent Desmond Mercer

Kent Desmond Mercer

authorStaff Writer on Sep 19, 2022

Kent Desmond Mercer of Southampton and Jensen Beach, Florida, died on September 11, peacefully at home after a two-plus year battle with cancer. He was 80.

He was born in Southampton to Alice (McGowin) Mercer and Charles Desmond Mercer on December 27, 1941.

He graduated from SUNY Farmingdale with a degree in horticulture, which would become something of a life-long passion. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1964-1966.

He worked for the FDNY from 1964–1984 in Manhattan Ladder Companies 22, 25, 289, before he finished his career with Queens Ladder Company 138 (The Corona Tigers) as a lieutenant. He enjoyed retirement more than twice as long as he worked as a firefighter. What a great life, his family said.

He returned to Southampton in 1984 to manage the Southampton Tree Farm, and later worked with his brother Lee in the family business providing pool maintenance and irrigation installation and maintenance with Parallel Services.

He was an avid lifelong member of Bullhead Yacht Club, loved sailing his boat, and was an enthusiastic fan of the Florida Gators. Since 1997, he and his sons had many great weekends watching the Gators play in person to include multiple National Championships.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years (56 this Saturday), Eileen Mercer; his brother Lee Mercer; his son Chris Mercer and his wife Mary Mercer of Tampa; his son Michael Mercer and his wife Amy Mercer of Southampton; three grandchildren, Liam, Isaac and Hudson.

A wake was held at Brockett Funeral Home on September 18. A celebration of life will take place in spring 2023, at Bullhead Yacht Club, with details to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the North Sea Volunteer Fire Department Scholarship Fund, 149 Noyac Road, Southampton, New York 11968, or Venmo Chris Mercer @TampaStressFree and he will forward a check to the scholarship fund.

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