Sharon Gayle Bruce Merchant, 80, of Houston, Texas, passed away on February 23, 2018, in Houston.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, February 27, 2018, at First Baptist Church in Vinton, Louisiana. Officiating will be Reverend Bobby Daniel. Burial will follow at Big Woods Cemetery in Edgerly, Louisiana.

Visitation will be from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at First Baptist Church in Vinton, Louisiana.

Born in Vinton, Louisiana, on April 3, 1937 the daughter of G.B. Bruce and Margurite Webb Bruce. Sharon graduated from Vinton High School in 1955. She was happily married to Jewel E. Merchant for 29 years and together they had 3 children. In her lifetime she worked as a teacher’s assistant at Vinton Elementary School, as a teller at Calcasieu Marine Bank and Branch Manager for Louisiana Savings & Loan. Upon the closing of the Vinton Branch of LS&L, she moved to Houston to be near her daughter and went to work for Compaq Computer Corporation for 5 years. Afterwards, she took a job with Varn Industries until her retirement 5 years later.

Sharon had a great love of all music which she shared with her children and grandchildren. She was a die-hard New Orleans Saints fan, in fact she had a special love for her whole home State of Louisiana. Wherever she went, Sharon was always the life of the party. She loved her family dearly and looked forward to family gatherings to which she always brought her special mac & cheese and cornbread dressing. To her families’ tremendous regret, she took those recipes with her. She loved her Lord and Savior and would speak of his love and saving grace to anyone who would listen.

She was preceded in death by her father G.B. Bruce; mother, Margurite Webb Bruce; sister, Addie Brenda Bruce Malone; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Mathews.

She is survived by her children, Bruce Lane Merchant, Toni Catherine Merchant Tanner and Robin Tanner, Richard Paul Merchant and Susan Merchant; grandchildren, Courtney Gayle Merchant Ziegler, Brandon Robert Tanner, Shannon Paul Merchant, Holland Nicole Tanner Butler and David Butler, Andrew Ryan Tanner, Kristen Amanda Merchant Shores and Casey Shores; great-grandchildren, Destiny Gayle Wright, Trinity Lee Wright, Kaylee Marie Merchant, Abby Lynn Ziegler, Zane Troy Ziegler, Conrad Iain Butler, Lucy Alba Butler; siblings, Bonita Bruce Mathews Ratliff and Jim Ratliff; in-laws Roy Malone, Donna Gossett and Jerry Merchant; along with multiple nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org/give.html .