Merlyn Mantle
Encyclopedia
Merlyn Mantle was an American
author
and widow
of New York Yankees
outfielder
Mickey Mantle
.
. She was the first of two daughters born to Giles and Reba Johnson. She had a sister, Pat, who was three years younger.
While attending high school, she met Mickey Mantle two years before his debut in Major League Baseball
. Mickey was a baseball player at Commerce High School, while Merlyn was a cheerleader at the rivaling Picher High School. Their first date took place at a movie theater
along the famed Route 66
in Miami, Oklahoma
.
. The couple had four sons: Mickey Jr. (1953–2000), Billy (1955-94), David (born 1957) and Danny (born 1960). They remained married for 43 years, until Mickey Mantle's death in 1995, although they were estranged during Mickey Mantle's final years. Mickey died of liver cancer
on August 13, 1995. Their son, Billy, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, but died of a heart attack
in 1994, aged 36. Another son, Mickey Jr., died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000, aged 47.
Merlyn Mantle was treated for alcoholism
at the Betty Ford Clinic, a disease which also afflicted her husband and three of her sons. In an interview with the New York Daily News
shortly after her husband's death in 1995. Mantle spoke of the negative impact that alcohol
had over her family's life, "I was in there partying and doing the same thing as Mick. That was our life and I was part of it; I can't deny that. It ruins families."
In 1996, Merlyn co-authored a memoir
of Mickey Mantle's life entitled Hero All His Life. The book was co-written with her sons, Danny Mantle and David Mantle, and writer Mickey Herskowitz.
Merlyn Mantle and Greer Johnson, Mickey Mantle's agent
and former live-in aide
, became involved in a legal dispute over the rights to auction off Mickey Mantle's possessions in 1997. The two sides reached a settlement, ensuring the sale of some of Mickey Mantle's belongings for approximately $500,000 dollars.
Merlyn Mantle's last public appearance was on August 5, 2008, at a dinner for the memorial service
of former Yankees player Bobby Murcer
. She was unable to attend Murcer's service the following morning due to health issues.
at a hospice
in Plano, Texas
, on August 10, 2009, at the age of 77. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease
. She was survived by two of her four sons, David and Danny, four grandchildren, and her sister, Pat LaFalier. She was be interred next to her husband and two sons at Dallas' Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
.
Early life
Mantle was born in Cardin, OklahomaCardin, Oklahoma
Cardin is a ghost town in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 150 at the 2000 census, but plummeted to 3 at the 2010 census in April 2010...
. She was the first of two daughters born to Giles and Reba Johnson. She had a sister, Pat, who was three years younger.
While attending high school, she met Mickey Mantle two years before his debut in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Mickey was a baseball player at Commerce High School, while Merlyn was a cheerleader at the rivaling Picher High School. Their first date took place at a movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
along the famed Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
in Miami, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Miami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe...
.
Marriage and family
On December 23, 1951, she married Mantle, following his rookie season with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. The couple had four sons: Mickey Jr. (1953–2000), Billy (1955-94), David (born 1957) and Danny (born 1960). They remained married for 43 years, until Mickey Mantle's death in 1995, although they were estranged during Mickey Mantle's final years. Mickey died of liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
on August 13, 1995. Their son, Billy, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, but died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1994, aged 36. Another son, Mickey Jr., died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000, aged 47.
Merlyn Mantle was treated for alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
at the Betty Ford Clinic, a disease which also afflicted her husband and three of her sons. In an interview with the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
shortly after her husband's death in 1995. Mantle spoke of the negative impact that alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
had over her family's life, "I was in there partying and doing the same thing as Mick. That was our life and I was part of it; I can't deny that. It ruins families."
In 1996, Merlyn co-authored a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
of Mickey Mantle's life entitled Hero All His Life. The book was co-written with her sons, Danny Mantle and David Mantle, and writer Mickey Herskowitz.
Merlyn Mantle and Greer Johnson, Mickey Mantle's agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
and former live-in aide
Aide
Aide may refer to:* A person who assists another; an assistant. In military contexts; an officer who acts as assistant to a more senior one; an aide-de-camp.* Aide , a purported Basque deity....
, became involved in a legal dispute over the rights to auction off Mickey Mantle's possessions in 1997. The two sides reached a settlement, ensuring the sale of some of Mickey Mantle's belongings for approximately $500,000 dollars.
Merlyn Mantle's last public appearance was on August 5, 2008, at a dinner for the memorial service
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
of former Yankees player Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for 17 seasons between 1965 and 1983, mostly with the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster...
. She was unable to attend Murcer's service the following morning due to health issues.
Death
Merlyn Mantle died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at a hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
in Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, on August 10, 2009, at the age of 77. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. She was survived by two of her four sons, David and Danny, four grandchildren, and her sister, Pat LaFalier. She was be interred next to her husband and two sons at Dallas' Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery
Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery
Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 7405 West Northwest Highway in north Dallas, Texas . Among the notable persons interred here are:*Sawnie Robertson Aldredge , mayor of Dallas, Texas...
.