Merlin Moore George Jr.

Merlin M. George Jr., of Eight Mile, Alabama, passed away on April 30, 2026, at the age of 95.

Born to Merlin M. George and Bernice Hutchinson, he was country-raised through and through. He didn’t come up with much handed to him, but he didn’t need it. He was a self-made man in every sense—educated at what he would’ve likely called the “school of hard knocks,” and proud of it.

He served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Merchant Marines, traveling all over the world. But no matter how far he went, he always found his way back to Eight Mile—the land that grounded him.

Back home, he built a life with his hands. A barber by trade, he worked for many years in Eight Mile, next to his wife Martha’s beauty shop. The two built not only a life together, but a partnership—side by side in work and in marriage for 64 years.

But Merlin wasn’t the kind of man to do just one thing. He was a natural entrepreneur, always looking for the next opportunity. Over the years, he owned a furniture store, a mobile home business, and a trailer park, among many others. He was a wheeler-dealer at heart—always buying, selling, trading, and figuring out how to make something work.

To his family, he was simply “Bubba”—a nickname from his younger days that stuck. He was deeply independent, strong-willed, and authentic to the core. If there were ever a soundtrack to his life, it would have been “I Did It My Way.”

He is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Martha Strenth; his son, Merlin George, III; his daughter, Candace Fuqua; and his sister, Connie Ann Douglas, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Merlin Moore George and Bernice Hutchinson, and his sisters, Janice Odom Gatwood and Bernice Key Daugherty.

Merlin’s life wasn’t polished or predictable—and that’s exactly what made it remarkable.

Though he may be gone from this world, the life he built, the lessons he passed down, and the stories he leaves behind will live on in those who knew and loved him.

He didn’t follow a path laid down by others—he created his own. And he walked it, every step, his way.

Our profound sorrow and sense of loss are tempered only by our warm memories of this man who lived the kind of life you don’t often see anymore—one built by hand, guided by instinct, and
lived exactly the way he wanted.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Mark McDaniel, ACG Hospice Care, and Access Home Health for compassionate support and care.

Visitation is scheduled from 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at Valhalla Memorial Funeral Home in Eight Mile, AL.