Merrill, Judge Thomas Blake,79, died on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at his home with his wife Gloria by his side. He was born on September 14, 1937 in Westminster, MD to Carl and Elizabeth Mitten Merrill. He spent his preteen years living with his family in Guam, and then Tokyo, where he attended high school at the American School in Tokyo, Japan. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Hawaii in 1960, and his J.D. at the University of Louisville in 1965.After graduation, he made Louisville his permanent home and practiced law until he was appointed as a Quarterly Quart Judge in 1970. In 1977, he was elected to the Commonwealth of Kentucky District Court, where he served for 17 years. In 1994 he served in the family court until he retired in 1999. In 2015, Judge Merill was honored by the Kentucky Bar Association as a Senior Counselor in recognition of his 50 years of service. He loved being a judge and an attorney. He is survived by his loving wife, Gloria French Merrill; a son, Thomas Carl Merrill of Bloomington, IN; a daughter, Lena Elizabeth Merrill and her husband Brad Kloza of Rutherford, NJ; and two grandchildren, Elena Turner Kloza and Zoe Merrill Kloza. Judge Merrill was an avid fisherman, joke teller, sports fan, and a horse racing handicapper. His laugh will be well remembered by those who loved him, and his personally crafted and perfected Bolognese sauce will be missed. He loved music, particularly the blues, and our dearest hope is that the lake in heaven will be stocked will smallmouth bass, featuring evening dockside performances by BB King. Visitation will be from 3 - 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 25th and from 9 - 11 a.m. on Monday, June 26th at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Rd.Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday at Highlands Funeral Home with a private burial to follow in Mt. Tabor Cemetery in Hodgenville, KY. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Hosparus.