John Henry Merritt of Clayton, NC passed away peacefully at the age of 82. He was born on March 28, 1943, in Johnston County. John loved and dedicated his life to his family and friends. John lived a life filled with compassion, resilience and unwavering dedication to his family and community.

After gradutaion from Cooper High School in Clayton, NC he started working for the Florida Steel Company. He later went on to work for Crown Zellerbach in Raleigh, NC where he made lifetime friends. He had a short careet with the family business (Slaughterhouse) that his dad started in 1967. He eventually retired from the US Postal Service after 30 years of working and began to travel the country.

John was entrepreneur at an early age. He started a night club called “ The Soulful Strut Bar and Grill” in Selma, NC. And later in life with his brother Dalise Merritt they founded the Green Palace night club in Piney Grove. As a young man, he joined the Masonic Lodge.

John was a devoted Father and Brother. He had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way. He enjoyed meeting people, and he never met a stranger. He was the type of person that you would like instantly, and he would leave an impression. He encouraged people all alon the way. He taught his children to love people and to never judge people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

He joined Long Branch Disciples Church at an early age. He enjoyed going to Church on Sunday even though his Church only had services twice a month he would always find another Church to visit on the other two Sunday's. We often called him the “ Ambulance chaser” because he and Uncle Dalise would attend all the funeral services in the area. We would ask him how the person passed, and hew would always say, their number came up. I guess with the heavy hear we can say that Dad's number came up…

John truly loved life to the fullest through simple pleasures: Chatting with friends and family, snacking, sitting on the porch watching people drive by and spending time with family. He was a pillar of the community and was known as the “Mayor of Piney Grove.”

He was always involved in the community and working to break racial barriers. He wanted to make the world a better place. Our fondest memory was when he attended the NAACP meeting in the early 70's and he came back home to give us our NAACP membership card. This was his way of saying I am protecting my family.

As stated by his brother, Dalise Merritt, “John was a Big Brother, a leader, an inspiration in my life, and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.”

John's favorite scripture was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

His favorite NFL team was the Dallas Cowboys, but if they were not playing, he would quickly find another team to cheer for. The last game he watched was last Sunday night and he was rooting for the Cleveland Browns. He loved sports and was a star basketball player at Cooper High School, in Clayton, NC.

John was preceded in death by his father, Henry Duncan (Duzzie) Merritt, mother, Sadie Ingram- Merritt, brother, Palmer Merritt, and sisters, Rachel Badger, and Gladys McNeil.

John leaves behind Velma Claige, his devoted lady friend of 20 plus years, three daughters; Sherry Denise Merritt, Zena Rochelle Merritt, and Natasha Benet Merritt-Davis (Kevin) and Son, Rickey Williams (Linda).

John is also survived by siblings Mary Callier (Atlanta, GA), Dalise Merritt (Clayton) and Maylene Badgett (Newton-Grove) and a host of grandchildren, nieces and nephews who hold a special place in his heart, and special friends, Ervin Sanders, Joe Randall, David Carter, Charlie Ward, Tony Jenkins, Jerry Melvin and DaJuan “Mocheeks” Morgan.

Public Viewing: 1:00 - 6:00 pm on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at Trice Funeral Home Chapel, 127 N. West Street in Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.

Funeral will be held 11:00 am on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at Poplar Springs Christian Church, 6115 Old Stage Road in Raleigh, NC 27603.

Burial: Long Branch Disciple Church Cemetery, 1921 Barefoot Road in Newton Grove, NC 28360.