Merle L. "Skip" Ebert, Jr.

Merle L. “Skip” Ebert, 76, of Carlisle, died Monday, November 18, 2024 at his residence with his wife, Anne, by his side.

Born in Allentown, he was the son of the late Merle L. Ebert, Sr. and Ruth (Wetzel) Ebert and the husband of 27 years to Anne (Brown) Ebert.

Skip attended Parkland High School in Allentown. He earned his undergraduate degree from The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina and went on to earn his Master’s Degree from Boston University and his Juris Doctor from Penn State Dickinson School of Law.

While at The Citadel, Skip was an exemplary cadet. He became Cadet Major of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and First Sergeant of the Summerall Guards. He was a member of the elite 1970 Sword Drill, an honor bestowed on only 14 cadets in his class. He held fast to the motto, “A cadet never lies, cheats, steals, or tolerates those who do.”

Skip was a Captain in the United States Army, serving as a Specialist in Military Counterintelligence. He was assigned as operations officer to a Military Intelligence Battalion in Frankfort, Germany. While in Frankfort, he enjoyed spying on the Soviets as part of the joint Soviet Military Mission, which, on one occasion, resulted in a one-night stay in a West German jail cell. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. In 1977 he was honorably discharged from the Army.

Skip attended the Dickinson School of Law, graduating in 1980, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar. His first job as a lawyer was in the Cumberland County Public Defender’s Office. He went on to serve as a Deputy District Attorney in Dauphin County and then worked as the First Assistant District Attorney in Cumberland County until 1989. He moved into the position of Chief Deputy Attorney General of Criminal Prosecutions in the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General where he served from 1989 – 1992. He was promoted to Executive Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Law Division and held the position from 1993 – 1995. He was elected the District Attorney of Cumberland County, serving from 1996 – 2006. Skip was then elected as Judge in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas where he served for 12 years. He made the unusual decision to step down from the bench and return to fill the recently vacated position of District Attorney of Cumberland County, missing the experience of being in charge of the troops.

Skip was quite involved in the community. He was passionate about scouting and served as Scouting Executive for the Keystone Area Council from 2001 – 2003. He also served as United Way of Carlisle and Cumberland County Campaign Co-Chair in 2004.

History was more than a hobby for Skip. He was a true history buff and participated in reenactments of the medieval period, Colonial American period, and American Civil War period. He was a member of Historic Carlisle, Inc. for many years and enjoyed playing roles in their reenactments, including the Whiskey Rebellion, part of which took place in Carlisle in 1794. His wedding to his wife, Anne, was carried out in full medieval style, with combat for her hand in marriage, dowery negotiations, ladies in-waiting, and feasting. As was stated by many guests, it was the best wedding celebration ever attended by them.

Most who knew Skip knew of his love for Rugby. He played with the Old Gaelic Rugby Club for many years before deciding that broken bones, aching knees, and lacerations were no longer desirable. He held his fellow Rugby friends close to his heart and loved to tell stories of their many escapades and sing bawdy Rugby songs that would make a modest person blush.

Another of his passions was scuba diving, where he achieved the status of Divemaster. As one of the requirements for certification, he was tasked with mapping out an area 30 feet down in the depths of a cold, murky stone quarry with the assistance of his reluctant wife.

Skip was a 32nd degree Mason. He belonged to St. John’s Lodge No. 260, National Sojourners, and the Zembo Shrine. He was a past Commander of American Legion Post No. 101, Carlisle as well as the Carlisle Elks.

In addition to his wife, Skip is survived by his brother: Larry Ebert, his wife, Carolyn, of Schnecksville; his nephew: Derek Ebert, of Minot, North Dakota; his Godson: Harrison Stuart, of Mechanicsburg, and many dear friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to his funeral service 2:00 pm Monday, December 2, 2024, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 201 W. Louther Street, Carlisle, where his visitation will be held from 12:30 – 2:00 pm. Hoffman Funeral & Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675, Speranza Animal Rescue, 1216 Brandt Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.