Merton Franklin Brackett, 97, beloved husband for 61 years to the late Carolyn Brackett of Scarborough, passed away at his home on February 20, 2024. He was born on May 3, 1926, to the late Guy and May (Russell) Brackett, in Limington, on the Brackett family homestead built on land given to Bracketts who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Mert and his brother Manley, grew up on the farm with their parents and a variety of animals. He and Manley hunted and fished to supplement the food produced on the farm and continued to enjoy those activities for sport as a younger man. He attended the one-room Longfellow School in Limington Village through eighth grade, fondly remembering he was one of the boys responsible for keeping the woodstove burning in cold weather. He received his high school education at Limington Academy and was one of five in his graduating class. He loved to recall that he was voted "class beauty" his senior year!

In 1944, at age 18, Merton joined the Navy in WWII as an air crewman. He was trained to be an aviation gunner, and later, a radio operator. By the time he had completed Operations Training and was sent overseas, Merton was an aviation radio gunner on an aircraft carrier stationed in the Pacific.

After his service, Merton attended the University of Maine at Orono and graduated in 1950 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He was a member of the Phi Mu Delta fraternity and was a champion in the 160 lb. wrestling division. During the summers, he worked for the Department of Transportation on survey crews in southern Maine.

Merton graduated from UMO in 1950, received his license to be a Professional Engineer, and began work with the State Highway Commission that same year. He spent his entire professional career with the DOT, beginning as a project engineer, and advancing through the ranks of Division 6 before retiring after a 43-year career, serving for 25 years as Division Engineer.

Mert and Carolyn married in 1958 and moved to Scarborough in 1959 to lovingly raise a family. Mert was a devoted husband and father who put his family first in all his decisions. Merton is survived by his son Dr. Jeffrey Brackett and wife Jennifer (Scarborough), his daughter Mary Sullivan and husband Robert (Bolton, CT), three cherished grandchildren: Bethany, Hannah, and Joshua Sullivan, Josh's wife Arielle and two beautiful great granddaughters, Oakleigh Eva and Sienna May.

Merton will always be remembered as a friend to many and the most wonderful guardian of the love of his life, Carolyn. When Merton could no longer see and Carolyn could no longer walk, they lived life together as his niece Diane once said, "Carolyn was his eyes, and Mert was her feet." They were an extraordinary team continuing to live alone at home for many years.

Mert was an excellent farmer too, planting huge gardens in the fields behind their house, growing a multitude of vegetables, fruit, and Christmas trees he would cut and share with people who needed one. He built a small cottage at Brackett Point in Biddeford and for many years, held a lobster license to fish 12-15 traps in Curtis Cove, indulging his family with fresh-caught lobsters and very special family dinners. He and Carolyn were both active in the Blue Point Church, with Mert being on the vestry and in leadership for many years.

Mert always had an engineering mindset and kept meticulous records and notes. He could go back to any previous year and tell us when he planted his radishes - or how many lobsters he caught on Memorial Day. He was organized, creative and inventive, always the one to solve a problem with wisdom and logic. It was yet another reason that he and Carolyn were able to continue living at home.

Mert was also a cherished grandfather. His grandchildren have wonderful memories of special toys he made, elaborate breakfasts he cooked, "tea parties" and laughter sitting around the kitchen table, his lobsters, home-grown fresh fruit and vegetables, trading hunting and fishing stories with Josh, and a lifetime of love.

In addition to Carolyn and his parents, Merton is predeceased by his best friend and brother Manley, a very special sister-in-law, Virginia Brackett, and many friends.

Family and friends are invited to a memorial service at 11am on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Blue Point Church 236 Pine Point Road, Scarborough, ME 04074. Hobbs Funeral Home, 671 Rte. 1, Scarborough will be handling arrangements. A private burial service will be held at Limington Village Cemetery later in the spring.

The family wishes to express our very deepest, heartfelt gratitude to our partners in care the past ten years - the wonderful caregivers and staff from D&C Home Care, for their truly extraordinary professionalism, compassion, thoughtfulness, and love. All of us are better people for knowing them. We are grateful as well for Hospice of So. ME and their kind support nurses, as Mert defied the odds many times over the past two years!

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations in Merton's name to Blue Point Church, 236 Pine Point Rd, Scarborough, ME 04074.