By Michele Wojciechowski

This past spring, Dave Merrion, a resident at Fox Run, an Erickson Senior Living community in Novi, Mich., was recognized for his impressive accomplishments throughout his 50-year career with diesel engines.

He was awarded the John Johnson Medal for Outstanding Research in Diesel Engines by the Society of Automotive Engineers International at a ceremony held at the prestigious Weston Book Cadillac Detroit Hotel in Detroit, Mich.

Dave dedicated many years to researching diesel smoke to create cleaner emissions, improve fuel economy, and increase the life of diesel engines. Clearly, all the hard work paid off.

“My certificate says that I got this conferred upon me for ‘leadership in diesel engine research, innovation, and productions implementation of advanced commercial diesel engines with high reliability, fuel efficiency, and low emission technology,'” says Dave with a proud smile.

Career beginnings
After graduating from high school, Dave was accepted into what was known as the General Motors Institute (GMI), which is now called Kettering University in Flint, Mich.

At the time, it was a co-op program, meaning students attended school and completed assignments while also working in the field. Students needed a division of General Motors to sponsor them–and that’s where they would work.

“The Detroit Diesel Engine Division of General Motors accepted me. So that basically started my career,” says Dave.

After participating in the co-op program for four years, GMI launched a track where students could attend college to earn their master’s degree and then submit that thesis to GMI for their bachelor’s thesis as well.

And that’s exactly what Dave did. Detroit Diesel sent Dave to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned his master’s in mechanical engineering, primarily working with diesel engines.

Lowering emissions
Then, he went to work for Detroit Diesel in product engineering, focusing on fuel economy to increase the durability, reliability, and life of diesel engines–with no breakdowns.

“That was before we had a concern about exhaust emissions,” says Dave. “When emissions came along, it added one more ingredient to my job requirements. But my specialty at MIT was in combustion, and if you’re an expert in combustion, you’re an expert in emissions.”

Dave notes that, over the years, lots of time and energy were dedicated to creating instruments to measure emissions.

“The industry collaborated on processes and procedures to come up with different ways to measure emissions as well as oxides, nitrogen, and hydrocarbons,” he explains. “We made a 99.9% reduction in exhaust emissions over the 50 years that I worked on them. Today, there are almost zero emissions.”

In addition to helping the environment, the work was also about preserving engines–giving trucks more miles per gallon. “Diesel trucks can now go a million miles before overhaul,” says Dave.

After years of hands-on work, Dave, still passionate about the industry, decided to create a small, private business–Merrion Expert Consulting. He worked closely with Daimler Trucks North America before closing up shop in 2024, eager to make the most of all the amenities and activities available to him at Fox Run.

Enjoying retirement
Dave and his late wife Jean chose Fox Run for two reasons, with the first being its convenient location. “We had lived in areas around Novi, so Fox Run was close to everything that we were familiar with,” says Dave.

They also appreciated the size of Fox Run’s campus. The couple had looked at other continuing care retirement communities, but they found them to be too small. They wanted to live in a community that offered plenty of amenities and activities for socialization.

With a variety of restaurants, fitness centers, and a pool on campus as well as countless clubs and groups, Fox Run easily fit the bill.

Jean unfortunately passed away two years ago, but Dave has stayed active in the community. Now, he heads the community’s euchre and bocce clubs and regularly plays other card games–such as bridge, pepper, and wizard–with neighbors.

Dave is also an active member of Fox Run’s genealogy, history, and astronomy clubs. And upon finishing his term on the general services committee of the Resident Advisory Council, he joined the political awareness committee.

He also enjoys catching up with friends over dinner at the on-campus restaurants and having weekly date nights with his neighbor and friend Carolann Boos.

“We all have fun! It’s very social here,” says Dave, who credits Fox Run’s worry-free lifestyle for his ability to pursue his interests in retirement.

To learn more about affordable, independent senior living at Fox Run, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and so much more.

The post Fox Run Resident Enjoys Retirement After Rewarding Career appeared first on citybiz.

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