Robert Francis “Frankie” Merson died peacefully in his sleep on February 24, 2025, in Allentown, PA, at the age of 79 while traveling with his American Flyer Depot toy train business.
Born on April 11, 1945, in Leonardtown, MD, to the late Claudia Abell Guy and Robert Lee Merson. While growing up, Frankie spent most of his childhood days running around at his maternal grandparents, Claude and Agnes Guy’s store in Clements, MD, and playing baseball. Even though he lost his front teeth while playing the catcher position and had to wear false ones for the rest of his life, he never stopped loving the game.
Frankie graduated in 1963 from Margaret Brent High School in Helen, MD, achieving awards in Student Council, livestock and tobacco judging, basketball, bowling, and of course softball.
On January 24, 1964, Frankie voluntarily joined the United States Army, where he served for two years. This included a stint in Germany, he then served as an Army reservist until February 28, 1970. He received medals as an M-14 Rifle Sharpshooter and operated an M-60 Machine Gun.
On March 07, 1966, Frankie began his 45-year career at Guy Distributing in Leonardtown, MD, where he was often called the “Bud Man.” His leadership and resilience as a salesman left a lasting impact on his family, coworkers, and customers.
In the summer of 1970, continuing his love for playing ball, Frankie joined the Rocking Chair
League in St. Mary’s County, MD. It wasn’t long thereafter that he was representing the “Guy” name, once again, by playing for the Guy Distributing Budweiser team. In 1981, he also took on the team’s manager role and secretary/treasurer for the Rocking Chair Softball League, which eventually transitioned to the Slow Pitch League. Frankie was inducted into the Slow Pitch Hall of Fame in 2017, which was one of his most proud and invaluable accomplishments. Frankie and his Budweiser team won numerous championships over the years, and he was still coaching at the time of his death.
His passion for sports remained strong throughout his life, enjoying the Washington Redskins, Washington Nationals, Washington Capitals, and Maryland Terps. He also loved NASCAR, collecting everything Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jr., and his latest favorite binge-watch was Yellowstone.
In the late 1970s, in addition to his love for softball, Frankie turned his childhood fascination with model toy trains into a hobby by starting to collect American Flyer sets. He would take his family to the local farmers market, antique shops, and eventually, long-distance swap meets to scavenge through junk, looking for a train treasure to revive. Over the next 40+ years, his hobby grew into a massive collection. He had a webpage where people could solicit his help and search his inventory. Often, some of his trains could be found around the holidays, on display at local events, and everyone could enjoy them. He was well known across the United States not only for his passion for collectibles but also for the buying, selling, and repairing of American Flyer trains.
Frankie would also spend his weekends helping on the family farm with the tobacco crop, carrying and setting up irrigation pipes, plowing and cutting the fields, tending to the livestock, and gardening. He enjoyed getting a paper bag of fried chicken and fries from the old Halfway House or grabbing a barbeque loaf sandwich and 10-ounce Bud from Jimmy Hurry’s. Later in life, he enjoyed eating crabs and oysters, playing cards (pitch was his game), and family gatherings more than anything. The peace and happiness that surrounded him during these times was what he loved the most.
Also, in the late 1970s and through most of the 80s, Frankie dedicated much of his time to coaching his daughter and countless other young ladies in softball through St Mary’s County Recreation and Parks. His daughter loved the sport and treasured her time with her dad.
During this same timeframe, his son could always be found as the bat boy for the Budweiser softball games, trying his hand at T-Ball under his dad’s coaching and riding in the Budweiser beer truck during the summer, which was their time together.
Frankie remained strong in his Catholic faith throughout every aspect of his journey. He rarely missed a mass, and even while on travel for softball or trains, he would find a church to attend on Sunday. While his children searched for documents after his death, they were moved to find countless church programs from services he had attended across various states throughout the years, and he also had printouts with directions for a church that was closest to each venue he regularly frequented.
As a father, Frankie was patient, wise, and selfless. He taught his children the value of hard work, the importance of integrity, and the principle of mutual respect and ethical behavior, which inspired great pride and admiration in them.
He is survived by his daughter, Michelle (Chuck); his son, Todd (Kelly); his cherished grandchildren, Anna and Abby; his second wife, Debbie; her three children, Amy (Mike), Kris (Shonna), and Matt; and her five grandchildren: Jim, Breanna, Sara, Hunter and Aden. He is also survived by his brother(s), Dale (Brenda) Yates and Lewis (Missy) Yates; brother-in-law George Burroughs, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members. He was preceded in death by parents Joseph Lewis “J Lewis” Yates, Jr, and Claudia “Bugs” Abell Guy Yates; sister, Claudia Lynn Burroughs; brother, Frederick Eugene Merson; sister, Jennifer Lynn Yates, and his beloved canine companion Speedy.
Frankie leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, and respect. He will be deeply missed, but his spirit will live on in the hearts of all who know him. May everyone honor his memory by embracing life with the same enthusiasm he showed daily.
Ephesians 4:32 – And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as GOD also forgave you in Christ.
Family will receive friends on Thursday, March 27th, 2025, from 5 to 8 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A Catholic Mass will be celebrated by Reverend Drew Royals Friday, March 28th, 2025, at 10 a.m., at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Morganza, MD.
Pallbearers will be David Burroughs, Derek Merson, Nick Adams, Mark Guy, Mike Guy and Tyler McDaniel
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Clements Cuties Foundation, P.O. Box 992, Mechanicsville, MD 20659; a St. Mary’s County, MD Softball organization raising awareness and supporting local families in their fight against childhood cancer or Second Hope Rescue, P.O. Box 137, Leonardtown, MD 20650; a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded to help hard to place homeless animals find their furever homes in loving memory of the bonded pair of Maggie & Muffin and also Bob the cat.
Condolences may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
