Obituary - Mervin E Oakes Jr

Home

Mervin Oakes, age 92, of Tryon, N.C., passed away on Monday, December 3, 2012 at home.

Mervin was preceded in death by his parents Mervin Elijah Oakes and Grace Thorne Oakes and his daughter, Nancy Oakes. 

Mervin is survived by his loving wife, Lesley, his son, James (Dorothy), his son Donald (Kathy), his three grandchildren, Christopher Oakes, Lesley O'Keefe, Carrie Crawford and 4 great grandchildren. 

Mervin attended Horace Mann School, Mars Hill Academy and Queens College, N.Y. After serving in the Army in World War II, he attended the Manhattan School of Music where he earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music. He went on to play flute in the National Orchestra in New York City under Leon Barzan, the Teaneck Symphony and the Adelphi Orchestra. He taught flute at the Rockland County School of Music 

Mervin founded and ran three businesses starting with Protectalum, Inc. where he developed a polishing system for aluminum storm doors and windows in the days before they were anodized. This was followed by Mervin Oaks Pool Supplies which he sold when Mervin and Lesley moved to Tryon in 1978. Upon retiring to Tryon, he started Jayvin making carved wooden signs using a sophisticated machine developed with his son James. 

He served as President of the Tryon Fine Arts Center and President of the Polk County Community Foundation. 

A memorial service will be held at a later date. 

Contributions may be made in his memory to Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, 130 Forest Glen Drive, Columbus, N.C. 28722 or to the Foothills Music Club, P.O. Box 463, Lynn, N.C. 28750-5001.