Farewell To A Friend
“He was a fun person to be around.”
Those simple words really sum up what it was like to know Mervin Walker, or Merv as he was usually called. An employee with Psychic Source since 2004, Merv’s pleasant voice was always a treat to hear over the phone when calling Customer Service. Often times, customers would specifically ask to speak with Merv as they knew he would bring a smile to their face while taking an order or just answering questions. Sadly, Mervin passed away in late December 2007 at the young age of 57. He is survived by his wife Delores of 28 years, his son Randy, two grandchildren Kenneth and Wesley, and his sister Michelle.
Mervin was born in July, 1950 in Barbados and moved to the United States at the age of eight to Hartford, CT. It was here where he attended school and graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of Hartford. A life long science fiction enthusiast, he authored numerous short stories and novellas and was in the process of writing his first novel before his untimely passing. He joined the Psychic Source Customer Service team in May 2004 and quickly became a favorite among our customers and a friend to everyone in the office! Everyone at Psychic Source will really miss working with Merv; he was a real special person.
A few of his co-workers share their reflections on this truly wonderful man:
Jackie – Customer Service Agent - “If you asked 100 people what they thought of Merv, 100 people would say the same thing “he was an amazing man.” He always had a way of making us smile, probably because he always had a smile on his face. One of Mervin’s best qualities is -- he remembered everything! If you had big plans over the weekend, the first thing he would ask you Monday was how it went, he made it known you were important to him. One of the things I miss most about him was every day at 3:50PM he would come in, punch his time card and say “How’s everybody doing today” and even if you were having a bad day, his voice made you smile. Mervin was a wonderful person, he has touched all of our hearts, I am honored I got to spend the time I did with him. We miss him very much.”
Deb –Customer Service Agent – “Merv was such a caring person to me. He always had nice things to say. He would notice if I got my hair cut. We would compare Bookworm scores (a computer game that he was very good in). Merv was an exceptional man, he was the first one to always say ok I’ll do it (work related). I miss his smiles and his caring ways, he will always be in my heart of hearts. I’m sure he’s reading about sports and enjoying his time watching all of us especially his family.”
Donna – Customer Service Agent – “I worked with Mervin for almost three years. Mervin was a pleasure to work with. He was always cheerful when he came into work and was a fun person to be around. During conversation, he would frequently say his catch phrase “OH MY!” I get teary-eyed when I hear that phrase now. Merv had so much patience. He talked to everyone with his soothing voice and assisted every caller as best as he could. He was a dedicated employee – he often worked on his days off to help out when we were shorthanded. It was rare that he said “No” when he was asked to help out. In between calls he enjoyed playing Bookworm and reading his Sci-fi books. At the end of his shift, he would always escort the ladies out to the parking lot to their cars. He was a true gentleman. In addition to being a great person to work with, he was a loving husband. He left us too early – I miss him dearly.”
Kerry – Customer Service Agent – “I sat next to Merv for nearly 4 years and he was a great guy. I miss talking to him about our mutual love of Science Fiction and teasing him about his unending games of Bookworm. He always had a science fiction book with him and he would tease me about the books I brought. Merv was always patient with customers and willing to help his fellow employees. He will be missed.”
Frank – Lead Customer Service Agent – “I wanted to write something about Merv and while thinking about a funny incident I noticed in the newspaper. All it had was stories about celebrities and I thought to myself that too bad Merv wasn't a celebrity so that millions of people would have gotten to know him. Then I thought he would not have been a good celebrity because he would not have gotten any press since he was such a good person and that everyone he touched he made them a better person. The papers don't want to print things like how he always went out of his way to help you, always had a smile on his face, never made any waves, was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather, I could go on and on. I'm glad he wasn't a celebrity because I would have never got to meet or know him. I miss my friend.”