Obituary: Scott Meyer

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Scott Meyer, owner of Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, New York, died on July 19.

“[Scott] lived a quality life doing what he loved and has left us all the better for it. I know that he would want to be thanking everyone now for sharing your time with him,” his wife, Alison, said, adding, “We thank all of the Merritt Bookstore customers for their support over the last 32 years, and especially through the last several years. We look forward to your continued support as we move ahead guided by Scott’s spirit for the local independent.”

A memorial service will be held in the coming weeks and will be announced on the store’s website and Facebook page.

In recent years, Meyer was treated for melanoma, but the cancer metastasized to his brain. In January 2014, family, friends, and bookselling colleagues launched a GiveForward fundraiser, Book Lovers for Scott, to help Meyer and his family with growing medical bills and other expenses. The effort raised more than $30,000.

Earlier this year, Meyer announced that he was retiring for health reasons and that the Merritt Bookstore was up for sale; the bookstore remains on the market. In 2011, Meyer closed a second Merritt Bookstore in Red Hook.

Suzanna Hermans, co-owner of Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck and Millerton, New York, told the Poughkeepsie Journal that Meyer was a “legend” in the Millbrook community.

“The work that he has done for books and authors and readers is unmeasurable,” Hermans said. “We wish all the best for his friends and family and give them our love at this difficult time.”

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