Longtime Grand Rapids high school teacher Edward J. Merizon was, as one colleague called him, “the definition of a teacher.”

Mr. Merizon, 58, died Monday (7/10) from complications caused by his cancer treatment. He taught in Grand Rapids public Schools for more than 30 years, first at South High School and then Central High School.

“His role in life was to be the best educator that he could be,” said Shirley Schriber, a fellow teacher at Central. “And I never knew anyone who was more devoted to his job, his profession and Central high School.”

Given the Distinguished Alumni Award by Central in 1998, four years after he retired, Mr. Merizon was known not only as a much-loved teacher of psychology, but also as a historian of the school.

“Mr. Merizon was Mr. Central,” said John Kirchgessner, who served as assistant principal and later principal of Central. “He had the complete history of Central High School. He also was one of the finest motivators… It’s a loss to education that he’s no longer with us.”

Kirchgessner said it was impossible to remember a single instance that showed Mr. Merizon’s caring for students. Each day Mr. Merizon came to work was a “delight,” he said.

After graduating from Central, Mr. Merizon attended Grand Rapids Junior College and received a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. After he retired from Central, he continued teaching at Davenport and Grand Rapids Community colleges.

“He could have been anything,” said Ruth Merizon, his wife of 25 years. “And he chose to teach.”

Many students often visited Mr. Merizon in the hospital in the weeks before his death. his wife said she will always remember his offbeat – sometimes outrageous – sense of humor.

“That’s one of the things the kids enjoyed a lot about him, too.” she said, adding he also used his humor to lampoon people he worked with. “Anybody who deserved it got it from him, but still he did it in a way that didn’t make enemies.”

Besides his wife, Mr. Merizon is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Sue Merizon.

A memorial service was held July 13. Memorial contributions can be made to the Central High School Academic Scholarship Fund.