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He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sylvia Cohen Amols; daughter Janice Curley and former son-in-law Michael Curley, both of Worcester, MA; daughter Lisa Amols of West Tisbury, MA; daughter Nancy Gingras and her husband Brian of Eastford, CT; and grandchildren Adam Curley, Russell and Rachel Schubert, and Corey and Shay Gingras.
Merv was born in San Francisco in 1921 to Jack Amols and Ida Glassman Amols. He grew up in Chicago and Boston and lived in Windsor for the last 50 years.
After serving in World War II, Merv started his career in the music business as a morning disc jockey at WJLS in Beckley, West Virginia. In 1950 he joined Capitol Records, and for the next 40 years had a very successful career in promotion for the company. He was with Capitol Records during the most exciting time that the music business has ever seen and was widely considered by his colleagues and peers to be the best promotion man in the business. He promoted the careers of such varied artists as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Iron Maiden, and Tina Turner. He helped launch the careers of other artists such as Anne Murray, Bob Seger, Natalie Cole, and Wayne Newton. He had an ear for music that was unsurpassed, and radio station program directors throughout New England and New York grew to trust his musical instincts.
After his retirement from Capitol Records in 1991, he became an active volunteer. For the next 18 years he gave his time as a news reader at CRIS Radio, Connecticut’s Talking Newsstand for the Blind and Print Handicapped. He also volunteered every week as an administrative aide at the Connecticut Supreme Court, and received the Volunteer of the Year award in 2006.
Merv was a passionate New York Mets fan and avidly followed every game with his wife, Sylvia. He also looked forward to his Thursday night bowling league every week for forty years until he finally had to give it up just last year.
At Merv’s request, there are no calling hours or funeral services; however, a celebration of his life will be held in November over the Thanksgiving weekend. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be sent to CRIS Radio, 315 Windsor Avenue, Windsor, CT 06095. Arrangements entrusted to Weinstein Mortuary, Hartford. To sign the guestbook for Merv, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com.
