Ralph Richard Merriam, 87, of Evanston, Illinois, passed away peacefully on April 12th surrounded by his daughter, his daughter-in-law and his beloved wife of 35 years. Ralph was born on October 22, 1934 to Calvin and Alicia Merriam in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He graduated from Rice University in 1954 with a degree in Architecture. He went on to enjoy a distinguished career as a developer, running his construction firm, Merriam & Merriam, with his brother, Henry (Ana Rosa) Merriam. Ralph was a lover of the arts and a lifelong tennis player. He was happiest when he was with his beloved wife and best friend, Maria Eugenia (Gomez Marquez) Merriam, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. He was a devout Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ. In addition to his wife, Ralph is survived by his children Ralph (Karla) Merriam Jr., Katherine (Carlos) Bobadilla, Karen (Doug) Wiemer, Patrick (Blanca) Merriam, Jose (Ana) Gomez-Marquez, Maria E. (Rhiannon) Reaves. He was a cherished grandfather to Richard, Elizabeth, Carlos Andrés, Michelle, Daniel, Alicia, Cate, Sofia, Adriana, Alexandra, Nicolas, Luca, Marta, and Sebastian. He was good friend to many and will be deeply missed by William and Brenda Parrish of Atlanta, Georgia and many others. Ralph will always be remembered for his kindness, his steady hand, and his unbounded devotion to his family and friends. Ralph was and will be remembered as man of love. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Northshore Senior Center at https://northshoreseniorcenter.ejoinme.org/MyPages/donation/tabid/761682/Default.aspx.