Incornata Merlino Obituary (1930

Incornata (Inky) Merlino, age 97, life-long Seattle resident, died peacefully at home on May 23, 2012. Born January 17, 1915, she was the daughter of Nicola and Angela Fiorito and sister of Dan N., Paul N. and Florence, who she remained close to all her life. Inky grew up in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood, attending John B. Allen School. The youngest in the family, she followed her siblings and cousins to Ballard High School. A proud Ballard Beaver, she was a four year honor student and chosen commencement speaker for the class of 1932. Immediately after graduation she went to work as a bookkeeper for her father at the N. Fiorito Co., a road construction firm in Ballard. She used the skills she learned there her whole life for business and family investments. Inky married Gene Merlino on July 31, 1937, with whom she had three children, Jean, Paul and Jim. Inky helped Gene with the bookkeeping for family businesses; they started in 1939 with a service station on Airport Way S. and eventually owned a chain of ten. In 1957, they founded American Meter Machine, a commercial laundry business. Every night, Inky and Gene sat at the kitchen table to balance the books and pay the bills. As the company grew, it moved from a building on Eastlake to its current location on Westlake and became American Meter & Appliance. For decades, Inky went into the office to enter account information into the computer. Inky was renowned for her cooking, and was once mentioned in Seattle magazine as the best Italian cook in Seattle. She hosted frequent dinners for business and service organizations such as the Italian Club, the Seafair Commodores and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2007, she collected many of her recipes into a cookbook, Family Favorites from Inky's Kitchen. Inky learned to sew in high school and became an accomplished seamstress, making clothes for family members and teaching others. Later in life she picked up knitting, making sweaters, baby blankets and dresses to give as gifts. Fiercely devoted to her family, Inky organized many reunions of the Fiorito and Merlino families so that the generations could know each other as she had known her extended family growing up in Phinney Ridge. Inky traveled with Gene around the United States, visiting major cities and the National Parks. They took trips to Italy and much of the rest of Europe, Japan, China and Mexico and went on cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal with children, grandchildren and friends on board. When she was five, Inky went to the library with her siblings to enroll in the summer reading program and loved reading all her life, always keeping many books on her bedside table. She is survived by her husband of 75 years, Gene, daughter, Jean, and son, Paul. Her son Jim passed away in 2011. Daughters-in-law Cheryl, Lynn and Michelle. Grandchildren Tony, Dina, Annette, Doug (Tracey), David (Carlene), Nik and Roman. Great-grandchildren Max, Gage, Madison, Makenna, Anthony and Lanai. Our heartfelt thanks to Polly Gardner, ARNP, Dr. Peter Dempulos and the staff of Seattle Cardiology for their many years of care and concern; Dr. Kristine Rinn, Dr. George Pappas and Dr. Jed Gorden. Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, June 14th at 10am at Christ the King Catholic Church, 404 North 117th with reception following. Interment at Holyrood Cemetery. Memorial donations can be sent to the Washington Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, or the American Heart Association. To send a flower arrangement in memory of Incornata Merlino, please click here to visit our sympathy store.