Obituary of Merritt L. Dailey

Merritt Lee Dailey, 67, beloved father, son, brother and great friend passed away on July 15, 2022 at Arnot Ogden Medical Center after a brief illness. Merritt was born in Elmira, NY at Arnot Ogden on September 29, 1954 to Frank H. and Carol Dailey. Merritt was preceded in death by his parents, Frank H. and Carol Dailey and infant brother, Brian. He is survived by his daughter, Shelby Dailey Sims (Josh), his grandchildren, Kelsea Combs, and Luke and Aimee Jane Sims. He is also survived by his sister Alice Dailey, brother Frank G. Dailey (Marianne) and a niece, nephews and great- nieces and nephews. Merritt graduated from Horseheads High School in 1972, where he made many lifelong friends. To Merritt, close friends weren't just friends, but family. He had many who were dear to him but especially, Virginia Abrunzo, Sally Conti, Gigi Fusco, Joe and Gloria Satcher and Bruce Cooper. Merritt always had an adventurous spirit and moved to California in the mid-1970s. He worked in many different fields until 1989 when he started his career with Exxon-Mobil. His last 10 years with Exxon took him all over the world, working in remote locations, including Africa, Russia and Indonesia. Merritt was an incredibly loving father and took much pride in watching his daughter and grandchildren grow and thrive. During his retirement he returned to Horseheads where he found joy in "living the good life." He enjoyed watching local sports, working around the house and vacationing in Florida. Merritt was a great handyman. He loved working in his garage, building, tinkering and fixing any and everything, for himself or anyone in need. He often joked, saying "I can fix anything, but the crack of dawn and a broken heart." He left this life the same way he lived, on his terms. He will always be greatly missed by those who loved him.