August Merz (Sandy)

August (Sandy) Merz III passed away suddenly in his home in Tucson, Arizona on June 26, 2024, only days after being at a family gathering in Washington State. Born in Silver City, New Mexico to August and Ruth Merz, Sandy grew up attending the local public schools and was a cub scout, played the trumpet, and was the center for the Silver High School football team. Sandy attended the University of New Mexico, graduating in 1979 with a Bachelors of Science majoring in Geology. Initially he explored a variety of majors, but inspired by wanting to have a topic in common with his father, he took an introductory course in Geology and became fascinated with the subject. Following his graduation he worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in remote regions of western New Mexico. He then moved to Tucson to begin graduate school in Hydrogeology. While working as an intern hydrologist for a local county agency, he started doing volunteer work that involved making presentations in schools and discovered his true calling as a teacher. Upon completing his Master of Science at the University of Arizona he traveled around the world solo in 1984. Wanting competency in another language he took courses in Spanish concluding with a Spanish immersion course in Guadalajara where he met Maria del Rosario Gonzalez Aguiar, the woman who would become his wife. Given his background in science and mathematics Sandy became a teacher at Safford Middle School during the time it was a designated magnet school in Science and Technology. He started as a substitute teacher and had a 34 year career there, moving in 2021 to Catalina Foothills High School. Sandy played a large role in developing curriculum and won awards for excellence in teaching including being recognized as a Raytheon Leader in Education and a Hope Street AZ Fellow. Sandy was actively involved in the teacher leadership movement by facilitating National Board candidates, blogging for Stories from School Arizona (where his essays may be found online at https://www.storiesfromschoolaz.org/author/sandy-merz/ and https://www.huffpost.com/entry/august-sandy-merz-the-goo_b_8518208), and serving on the Arizona K12 Center's TeacherSolutions team.

Apart from his professional activities, Sandy had a deep intellectual curiosity and read widely, loved looking at the stars, and was a dedicated bicyclist. He was proud of his sons and delighted in his grandchildren. Sandy is survived by August and Brittany Merz and their children Vera Marie and August Randall (Tucson, AZ), Seth and Amy Merz (Tucson), his former wife Maria del Rosario Gonzalez Aguiar (Tucson, AZ), his older sisters Maydith Merz (Cranston, RI), Linda Merz (Tucson, AZ), and Rachel Merz (Friday Harbor, WA) and by nieces and nephews in Rhode Island, Colorado, Arizona, and Hawaii.