Dorothy Jean Merk

Dorothy Jean Merk passed away on July 19, 2022, at the age of 89, surrounded by loving family members. She was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, on September 26,1932, to Edward and Olga Reed. Dorothy grew up in Homewood, Illinois and graduated from Thornton Township High School.

Dorothy married George Merk on April 21, 1956, and soon moved to Colorado with their daughter, Micki. She loved the sunshine and mountains of Colorado. After the adventure of working in and exploring several cities, they settled in Boulder where their son, Marty, was born. Dorothy, George and their family moved to East Lansing, Michigan, in 1964. She fell in love with East Lansing and built a very comfortable life for her family. Dorothy worked for the city manager of East Lansing and later retired after working as an executive secretary for Michael Dow.

Dorothy's love for her family, her cats and her friends is evident in how she lived life. She had a wonderful sense of humor and a beautiful smile. Dorothy had a positive impact on every life that she touched. Getting together with friends for coffee, lunch, dinner or to go to a play at the Wharton Center at MSU, brought her so much joy. Her selflessness, sunshine and laughter will be missed by all who knew her.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Micki (Bruce) Strand and her son, Marty (Amy) Merk; her grandchildren: Ryan (Michelle) Foster, Andrew (Erica) Foster and Mollie (Brock) Brown, Kelly (Nick) Coster, Scott (Rose) Merk, Cristy (Jon) Moravitz and Brian (Jessica) Merk; her great-grandchildren: Chance, Reese, Ellie, Vera, Olive, Atticus, Abram, Cecelia, Norah and Theodore; her sister, Barbara Reed and her brother, Donald (Linda) Reed; her niece, Paula and Paula's son, Lyndon and her special companion, Tom Giddings. Dorothy is preceded in death by her husband, George Merk and her granddaughter, Kacie Foster-Merk.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m on Thursday, July 28, 2022, at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing, Michigan. Visitation will be held from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow the service at Evergreen Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan. Memorial contributions can be made to the Capital Area Humane Society.

If you are unable to attend the Funeral Service for Dorothy but would like to join via a Live Stream link please scroll below and under the Service section click on the Join Live Stream button. The link will become active just prior to the services beginning.

To leave a cherished memory or words of sympathy for the family please visit www.greastlansing.com.