Edith May Mercer

Fort Mill, SC

Edith M. Mercer passed away February 17th 2011 in Rock Hill, SC. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada the daughter of the late Frederick Thomas Baxter and Jessie Coombs Baxter. She attended the University of Manitoba and Manitoba Commerical College and applied for a position with the Canadian foreign service and Department of External Affairs. Her first posting was to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC in 1945. In 1949 she married Joseph J. Mercer, Jr; then a law student at George Washington University. They Came to Oak Ridge in 1957 when her husband accepted a position with the office of the General Counsel of the then Atomic Energy Commission.

Mrs. Mercer was very active in many phases of volunteer work, She was very involved with the PTA at Willowbrook and Robertsville while her children were in school serving on boards and various committees.
She volunteered at the YWCA in various capacities including president. She was also a longtime member of the League of Women Voters serving on the board and also an active member of the United Church Chapel on the Hill serving at various times as a church board member, circle chairman and president of the United Methodist Church Women. Edith and Joe relocated to Fort Mill in 2002 to be closer to there grandchildren.

She had many interest including reading, politics, music, knitting and swimming and exercising.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph J. Mercer, Jr; son Joseph J. Mercer III and wife Patty Marks Mercer of Fort Mill; daughter Janet K. Mercer of Knoxville, TN; grandchildren Melinda E. Dawson, James C Ward, Jake F. Mercer, Alaina Gilewicz, Mallory and Mitchell Mercer; sister-in-law- Cynthia Baxter of Vancouver and several nieces and nephew in Canada and the US. She was preceded in death her daughter Julia M. Ward, her brothers Kelvin and Richard Baxter and sister Donna Baxter.

A Service to Celebrate the life of Mrs. Mercer will be held 3 PM Saturday February 26th 2011 at Palmetto Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Mill. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be sent to Autism Speaks, 4530 Park Rd Suite 320, Charlotte, NC 28209.

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