Mrs. Bernice Ann Merritt, 71, of Chincoteague Island, passed from this life on Saturday, July 20, 2024. She was born on July 20, 1953, to the late Kenneth Golway Jr. and the late Ruth Golway at Chandler Airforce Base in Arizona.
She was also preceded in death by her sister, Linda Riley. Bernice is survived by her loving husband, Eugene Merritt Jr., of Chincoteague Island; daughter, Sheila Conner; son, Eugene Merritt III; a granddaughter, Elissa Moser (Brandon); a grandson, Bradley Conner; and a brother, Kenneth Golway. She had one great-grandson, Finn Moser, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Bernice retired from NASA as a balloon program manager and went back to work at Hawk Institute as a vice president of program management, from which she recently retired. She loved to cook family dinners and holiday dinners, and she enjoyed watercolor and oil painting in her free time. She will be deeply missed, but all those memories will live on.
Her funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 26, at the Union Baptist Church on Chincoteague Island. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to the National Kidney Foundation, https://support.kidney.org/ and/or the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 691 Chincoteague Island, VA 23336 https://cvfc3.com/about/donate/
Services were entrusted to Salyer Funeral Home, Inc., on Chincoteague Island. Condolences may be made online at www.salyerfh.com
