[Ed Tipton]

Death Notice....I was informed about one hour ago of the death of Mr. Merle Rush. Merle was a close personal friend and mentor of knifemaking skills and techniques.
Merle acquired a small brain tumor malignancy in December of 2012. When I spoke to him about it he assured me that it was small, and that his operation for the removal of it had gone well. He was suffering from the effects of both Chemo and Radiation treatment and he was having difficulty with them.
I talked to him about visiting him in his home, but he told me he just wasn't up to having visitors, and that he was looking forward to warmer weather and feeling better.
Merle leaves behind his wife, daughter, and grandson as well as many friends.
He was an inspiration and excellent teacher and he loved every minute spent in his shop.
He had recently taken a leave of absense from his workplace, but he told me that he was not planning on returning to work. He was planning on working out of his shop after his recovery.
The world has lost a good, decent, honorable man, and those who were lucky enough to know him have lost a true friend.