Patricia Merritt, nee Jones, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 7, 2020 in St. Louis, MO.

Patricia was born on August 17,1942 in Jackson, MS. The second child of the late Edward and Onelia Jones, she graduated from Farrell High School in Farrell, PA. Patricia was an active member in the Civil Rights Movement. She broke barriers working for the Call-Chronicle newspapers in Allentown, PA, Caloric Corporation in Topton, PA, and Spirax Sarco Inc. in Allentown, PA. She and her husband William (Bill) Merritt founded “Grass Roots”, a community newspaper dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged people in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.

After her husband graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Business, they settled in St. Louis, MO with their three children. There, Patricia went on to receive her undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degree from Fontbonne University.

Patricia, a firm believer in the rights of all people, volunteered for many years with the National Society for Autistic Children – NSAC (the Autism Society’s original name). She enjoyed her career working in sales for several companies, including Dillard’s, Inc. and the Neiman Marcus Group.

Patricia is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Onelia (O.T.) Jones; her sister, Carolyn Miller; and her former husband, William (Bill) Merritt. She leaves to cherish her memory one son, William (Bill) Merritt Jr. of St. Louis, MO; two daughters, Crystal and Pamela Merritt of Collinsville, IL; three sisters Seretha Morton of Laurel, MD, Mary (Peaches) Jones of Bethlehem, PA, and Venessa Lovell of Allentown, PA; and a host of nieces and nephews.