William ("Bill") Merrigan, a dedicated U.S Government lawyer who served both the Department of Defense and the CIA proprietary Air America over the course of half a century in both Washington and Asia died on October 26, one month after his 90th birthday.

William Joseph Merrigan was born on September 28, 1934 in Guilford, Missouri and grew up just north in Conception Junction. He was the son of Patrick Merrigan, a farmer, and Irene McLaughlin, a schoolteacher. He graduated from Jefferson High School and in 1956 from Creighton University. In 1957 he joined the U.S. Navy Air Corps where he earned his wings in Pensacola, Florida. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, he attended law school at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. During law school he worked on Capitol Hill for Missouri Representative W.R. Hull.  Mr. Merrigan was a member of the Missouri and Virginia Bar Associations. He joined Air America as Legal Counsel in 1961 and lived in Taiwan for eleven years.  Between 1977 — 2008 he served as Chief Legal Counsel for DOD practicing transportation law.

Mr. Merrigan is survived by his beloved wife of 47 years, Sandra Whipple Merrigan of McLean, Virginia, his sisters Patricia Archer, Cecelia Meyer, and Veronica Dorrel, his sister-in-law Margaret Merrigan, his brother-in-law Bill Stark, and 45 nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his father, Patrick Merrigan, his mother, Irene McLaughlin, his brother, Donald Merrigan, and sisters Winifred Stark, Lucia Munsch, Eulalia Schieber, and Jeannie Merrigan.

A funeral will be held at 10:30 AM,  November 16 at St. Columba Catholic Church, Conception Junction, Missouri followed by a graveside service at St. Columba Cemetery, Conception, Missouri.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hydrocephalus Association, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 905, Bethesda, MD 20814-4447; https://www.hydroassoc.org