MERCER, Edward Lovell passed away on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. He was born in Greenville, KY, on June 3, 1942.He was a proud graduate of Owensboro Senior High School and earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Louisville. He was also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute and the F.B.I National Academy.
Ed joined the United States Army after graduation from high school and served three years (1959-1962). He was with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany during the time when the Berlin Wall was erected. Ed was appointed to the Louisville Division of Police on January 29, 1964 and served the City of Louisville for 27 years. He retired with the rank of Major/Assistant Chief and was the Chief of Detectives for the last five years of his service. Among his many achievements, he was the founder and first commander of the Louisville Police Honor Guard. He also established the nationally recognized Crimes Against Children Unit. He went on to serve as the director of the Division of Special Investigations of the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and then as the director of Enforcement for the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. He retired from active law enforcement in 2003 and became a private investigator. In 2008, he was appointed by the governor to the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Private Investigators and served as the chairman of that board until 2012. In addition to his law enforcement career, Ed served as an adjunct professor for the University of Louisville, Austin Peay State University,Bethel University and Sullivan University. Additionally, he lectured nationwide for the Southern Police Institute. He also taught frequently for the Louisville Police Academy and the Kentucky Department for Criminal Justice Training. He was a Master Mason and Past Master of Sunset Lodge 915, F.& A.M. He was also a 32nd degree Knight Commander of the Court of Honor of the Scottish Rite,Valley of Louisville; a member of the York Rite bodies and a past commander of the Legion of Honor of the Kosair Shrine.
Ed's involvement with the Boy Scouts of America spanned most of his life. He was a Scout as a boy, then served in many positions as an adult leader. He was a member of the Lincoln Heritage Council Executive Board, the Southern Region Executive Board and the National Boy Scout Advancement Committee. For his service to Scouting, he was awarded the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope. After his retirement, Ed satisfied a lifelong ambition by writing and publishing a novel. His book, The Dead Stroll, a novel about police investigations in the 1960s in Louisville, was very successful in Louisville area and stayed on The Courier Journal local best-seller list for 10 weeks.
He is survived by his wife and best friend, the love of his life, Sharon Eli Mercer; his son, Owen Edward Mercer; his daughter, Mauri Smith (Curtis); his brother, Harry D. Brown, of Greenville; his sister, Frances Baker, of Hopkinsville, KY; a host of cousins, nieces and nephews and his beloved Golden Retriever, Sarah.
There will be a celebration of Ed’s life at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 2, 2012 at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road. Visitation is 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday. An FOP memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday and a Masonic service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday with a Scottish Rite service to follow. Interment will be at McKnightCemetery in Christian County, KY. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Kosair Charities; Lincoln Heritage Council,B.S.A; The Scottish Rite Foundation; or GRRAND.