Harriet G. Mertz

Harriet Gould Mertz, of Pompano Beach, FL passed from this life on May 9th at age 91.  Mrs. Mertz was born February 6, 1926, as one of four children to Wilmont Gould and Anna Bailey Gould.  She attended Southmont High School and graduated in 1944.  Upon graduation, she enrolled at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA as a music education major on an academic scholarship.  At college, she was listed in “Who’s Who In American Colleges and Universities”, and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in 1948.

In 1949, she married her college sweetheart, John Mertz, and moved to South Florida where she contributed greatly to cultural activities in Miami.  She began singing professionally by giving concerts at hotels, churches, temples, country clubs and universities.  Her Master’s Degree in Music Education was earned at the University of Miami in Coral Gables in 1961.  In addition, she was awarded and Education Specialist Degree in Communications, Curriculum Studies, and Television Production from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN in 1968, and a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Columbia MS.  Additional education included Certification of Study from Kyoto University in Japan and Chenchi University in Taiwan, postgraduate work in Administration and Supervision at Florida Atlantic University, the University of Missouri, and advanced television and film production at Redwood City, CA.

Her professional affiliations included Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women (awarded Sword of Honor), Delta Kappa Gamma International Society For Women Teachers, Alpha Psi Omega National Thespians, National Association for Teachers of Singing, Florida Association of Music Educators, Women in Communications and P.E.O. Chapter.

Other achievements included the authoring of a filmstrip series, entitled " Introduction to Music"; creating hew own television series, “Magic Music” for channels 2 & 17 in Miami; teaching conversational English at a boys’ vocational school in Japan; served as a member of evaluation committees for Median Centers, colleges, and universities; conducted leadership training programs for the Departments of Education in Nova Scotia, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Florida; and drafted Student Performance Standards in Television Production for the State of Florida.  With many years of service in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Mrs. Mertz was the Television and Audiovisual Media Specialist/Coordinator at South Miami Senior High and an Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Miami, Florida Atlantic, and Palm Beach Atlantic.  At one time, she held the position as President of the School of Music Alumni Association at the University of Miami.

In the 1960’s, Harriet had her own studio in Miami where she had an Electronic Media School and instituted the first studio production for Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio.  In the same decade she won a contest sponsored by the Miami Herald for “Best Dressed Career Woman”.

In the 70’s, she became a personal friend of Jerry Herman, composer of “Hello Dolly” and in 1975, she produced a fundraiser with Jerry at the new Gusman Concert Hall on the University of Miami Campus.  This affair raised enough money to refurbish the University of Miami School of Music.  At one event, Mr. Herman requested that she sing a medley of his songs and personally accompanied her on the piano.  This was one of the highlights of her life.  She also was in charge of workshops on Music Education and Vocal Productions for the Music Educators National Conference in Philadelphia.

In 2007, with her husband, she moved to John Know Village, a life plan community, in Pompano Beach, FL.  She immediately became involved with many volunteer activities, including director of the village Women’s Chorus plus serving the Health Center, the Chapel, and Assisted Living Center.

She is survived by her brother James Gould and her sisters Nancy G. Baldwin and Wilma Jean Davis.

Interment will be held at the Woodlawn Mausoleum in Miami with a celebration of life memorial service to be held at the John Knox Village auditorium at a later date.  As expressions of sympathy, donation to John Knox Village Foundation Employee Scholarship Fund or the John Knox Venetian Arts Society would be greatly appreciated and should be sent to John Knox Accounting Department, 651 SW 6th St., Pompano Beach, FL  33060.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at the John Knox Village Auditorium, 651 SW 6th Street, Pompano Beach, FL  33060.

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