California man honors son killed in line of duty by helping underserved youth

By Sharon Chin

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    PALO ALTO, California (KPIX) — A Peninsula man has turned his grief into a catalyst for good. After his police officer son was killed nearly 20 years ago in the line of duty, he created a positive outlet for the community’s youth.

When Dr. Frank Merrill looks onto an East Palo Alto field, he sees more than afternoon rugby practice.

“The dream for us was to make a difference, to give kids an opportunity they didn’t have,” he said.

That dream came out of a nightmare. His step-son, East Palo Alto police officer Rich May, was shot to death by a parolee in 2006.

During the trial, the defense argued that the lack of positive activities for youth contributed to the shooter’s criminal history.

After sentencing, Merrill got to thinking about what he could do for underserved young people.

“I can’t solve world hunger. I can’t solve world peace. I can’t change families. I can’t do a lot of things, but I can given them a field to play on,” said the retired veterinarian.

So Merrill and his late wife, Clarice, set out to build a field to create something positive and honor Rich May, who was passionate about serving kids in the Police Activities League.

“He was never one of those people who would try to fight the world. He was going to make it a better place by being amenable to working with people,” Merrill said.

The state-of-the-art Rich May Memorial Field opened in 2015.

The Merrills and their supporters raised $2 million, mostly in private donations, and overcame years of obstacles.

“When the lights came up, that was the most glorious thing I’d seen in years and years and years,” Merrill recalled.

Today, 700 young people use the field each day.

In fact, it’s so well-used that the Rich May Foundation, which Merrill started in 2017, is trying to raise a million dollars to replace the turf on the field.

Under a unique operating agreement, the Rich May Foundation manages the field that is owned by the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and Ravenswood School District.

Rich May Field is home to the East Palo Alto Razorhawks Rugby Club.

The club’s grateful for the affordable rental fee, at $50 an hour, a fraction of the going rate.

Coach Vaea Sanft says having a home base is a win for membership.

“The last three years has doubled every year,” Sanft said. “Now to have a field we can call our own: It’s a blessing for these kids, and we really appreciate it.”

East Palo Alto Police Chief Jeff Liu, who was a good friend of Rich May, says the community also scores in crime prevention.

Enriching activities on the field help create a community of good citizens.

“It took a community to bring this together, and Frank was a catalyst behind that. He was the inspiration and he was the driving force to make that happen,” Liu said.

“They don’t even realize it. They’re learning good behavior and it’s just good,” Merrill said.

“It needs to be celebrated, Frank needs to be celebrated,” stated Liu.

So, for building the Rich May Memorial field to foster healthy recreational opportunities, this week’s CBS News Bay Area ICON Award goes to Dr. Frank Merrill.

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