Merle Glasser

Merle Glasser, 66, passed away on February 25, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. Merle passed peacefully at home, surrounded by his loved ones.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday, March 3, at The Bismarck Funeral Home.  Family will be receiving guests one hour prior to the service.  

Burial will be held at 1:00pm at the Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan.

Merle James Glasser was born on April 8, 1958 to Adolph and Evelyn (Kautzman) Glasser in Mandan, ND. Merle enjoyed his childhood and spent many hours outside with his friends and his siblings, Ginger (Kreitel) and Tory. Merle often spoke fondly of hanging out at his grandpa’s farm in Glen Ullin with his many cousins. Merle graduated from Mandan High School in 1976, after which he proudly served in the United States Marine Corps; he enjoyed being stationed in California and Hawaii. Merle later went on to study accounting at the University of Mary in Bismarck.

In 1979, Merle met his wife Patricia (Hancock) when his sister set them up on a blind date. Merle and Patricia were married on October 3, 1981, at Spirit of Life church in Mandan, ND. Merle and Patricia had a happy and loving marriage with three children, Jennifer, Brandon, and Andrew, and many beloved rescue cats.

Merle worked as the deli manager at Dan’s Supermarket for 15 years where he proudly perfected his borscht recipe which is still sold and enjoyed by the community. Merle later went on to be the food service director at the North Dakota State Penitentiary where he taught and encouraged residents to have confidence in the kitchen. Merle's sense of compassion for others and belief in the importance of giving second chances were a perfect fit for this job where he impacted many lives for over 20 years.

Merle loved to share his passion and talent for cooking with others, especially his grandson Evan. He spent countless hours in the kitchen teaching Evan family recipes, sharing new techniques, and just having fun together. Merle also spent many holidays volunteering his cooking skills to feed the hungry in our community and was always willing to bring a meal to someone struggling or in need.

Merle retired in 2023. He enjoyed retirement by reading, listening to music, creating memories with his family, and more than anything sharing his love of cooking. He enjoyed traveling to any place warm and trying the local cuisine, going for walks, and feeding the neighborhood birds and squirrels. Merle and his wife also spent many hours competing against each other in Cribbage and Scrabble, with the winner changing depending on who you asked.

Merle was predeceased in death by his father, mother, and sister. He is survived and will always be remembered lovingly by his wife, Patricia; his children, Jennifer (Timothy), Brandon, Andrew; grandson, Evan; brother, Tory (Cheryl) and many extended family members and friends.

The family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sanford Hospice, the Sanford Oncology team and the Bismarck Cancer Center for their support, kindness and encouragement as Merle fought his valiant battle.