Merrick ‘ Jenks’ Dowson

67, San Francisco

It’s probably not a coincidence that Merrick “Jenks” Dowson founded his own wine- importing business and developed a great love for the San Francisco Giants after emigrating from England to the Bay Area in 1976.

Fine wines and batted- ball sports were all but hereditary traits for Dowson, who was 67 when he died from complications of COVID- 19 at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center on April 10.

Dowson’s great- great- great- grandfather, Walter Gilbey, was at the center of England’s wine trade and founded Gilbey’s Gin in the mid- 1800s. His grandfather, Edward Dowson, was an English cricketer for Cambridge University and Surrey during a first- class career that lasted 13 years.

“We still have engraved cricket bats that his grandfather used,” said Laura Dowson, Merrick’s 39- year- old daughter. “It was kind of cool to hear the stories of his famous family members. I think he was really proud of his heritage.”

Merrick Dowson was born 30 miles outside of London on Sept. 12, 1952. He attended Magdalen College School in Oxford, where he sang in the chapel choir.

He moved to the U. S. in 1976 to explore the growing California wine market, and 10 years later founded Adventures in Wine, importing fine wines from around the globe and storing bottles for customers in temperaturecontrolled lockers in a Daly City warehouse. He headed the company until his death.

Dowson married Sharon Ackel in 1980, and the couple had three children, Laura, Douglas and Nathan. They divorced 28 years later.

Merrick coached several of Laura’s youth soccer teams, endearing himself to kids with his British accent and sense of humor.

“He was one of those cool dads that even your friends like,” Laura said.

Merrick became a Giants seasonticket holder in the 1980s and remained a loyal fan from their days at windswept Candlestick Park to their championship run at downtown Oracle Park, where the Giants won World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Laura believes Merrick caught the coronavirus while traveling to Los Angeles by plane in early March. He developed a fever and a cough and was admitted to a hospital on March 15.

“He had a serious case of the swine f lu in 2009, and when he checked into the hospital, he said, ‘ Oh, these viruses seem to really like me,’ ” Laura said.

Merrick was on a ventilator for 3 ½ weeks. When his kidneys began to fail along with his lungs, doctors summoned his kids to the hospital. Laura and Nathan donned gowns, masks and gloves. Douglas joined on a FaceTime call from London.

“We were lucky to be with him when he passed — many people don’t get that option,” Laura said. “It was great to be there and talk to him one last time, tell him how much we love him and that he was a great dad.”

— Mike DiGiovanna