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MERRY, Frank (1927-2007) was born in Oldham, Lancashire
on 14 March 1927. He was the son of Ellen and Frank Merry, Warehouse Manager. Frank
was educated at Northmoor
Council School
and Hulme
Grammar School, Oldham,
where he was an outstanding scholar. He gained a scholarship to St Johns,
Cambridge in 1945 and achieved a double first in History gaining his BA in
1948 along with the College prize and a Rotary Fellowship to Columbia,
University, New York. He was awarded an MA in 1948.
He returned from the USA
with a Special License and married his childhood sweetheart Elsie Brierley on 9 September 1950. They moved to the South
of England after their marriage and Frank began work as a salesman with Mars
and it was here that he learned the skills of business from the ground up.
He later worked for Showerings and it is thought,
was part of the team which introduced Babycham to
a wide-ranging female population.
Frank joined Lyons as Managing Director of Henry Telfer Ltd in about 1963 and quickly transformed the
company into a leading supplier of meat products. He was appointed to the
J. Lyons & Co Board in 1967 and remained a Director until his
retirement in 1998. During his career with Lyons
he was in charge of a wide range of companies; in 1968 he was appointed
Chairman of the Grocery Sector (formally Tea Division) which included Tea, Catering Sales, Sol Café (coffee), Soft Drinks and the Jersey subsidiary, Overseas Trading Corporation. The
Grocery Sector also included Vera-Serve, an associated business supplying
vending machines.
By 1972 he became Chairman of Lyons Bakery Ltd and Lyons Maid Ltd.
In 1973, to meet the Groups wider international interests, the Lyons Board
reorganised and formed J. Lyons International Ltd and Frank Merry then became
chairman of Lyons Tetley Ltd until 1988. In 1975 he was appointed Chairman
of Alpine Refrigerated Deliveries Ltd and Glacier Foods Ltd on the
retirement of Guy Lawrence. In 1977 the Lyons Board reorganised again and
Frank Merry became one of seven directors reporting to Len Badham, the Group’s Managing Director. As well
his directorship duties within the Lyons Group he also held directorships
in the Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers Ltd and the Food
Manufacturers Federation Inc, He was also Council Member of the British
Nutritional Foundation and Chairman of the Consumer Goods Study Group. After the takeover by Allied
Breweries Ltd in 1978, Frank Merry was promoted to Assistant Managing
Director (1982-1988) where his calmness under pressure was always very
reassuring.
His colleague and friend, Jack
Silverman, touched on some of his great strengths in his eulogy at
Frank’s funeral such as his analytical prowess; his patient, tactful and
thoughtful guidance of subordinates; his wide and multifaceted experience
in marketing and not least his intense comprehension of finance.
During his late teens, and
whilst at Cambridge,
Frank played the clarinet and saxophone in a dance band. A keen sportsman,
he also enjoyed cricket, tennis and golf but his main hobby was his family.
Frank and Elsie were proud of their three daughters, Beverley (b.1957),
Ashley (b,1958) and Pippa
(b.1961) and six grandchildren, James, Alexander, Christopher, Hayley, Sasha and Jocelyn. Towards the end of his life
Frank Merry suffered from diabetes and he died on 3
July 2007. He is succeeded by his wife Elsie (although frail) and children.
His eldest daughter, Beverley, compiled the major part of this
obituary
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