Merial R Depasquale

Merial Rimmer DePasquale was born December 26, 1924, in Mebane NC, to Arthur Hughes Rimmer and Beatrice Breeze Rimmer. She spent most of her youth in Roxboro, North Carolina, along with her two sisters, Janice and Alta.

She had various jobs in her life and one of the first was During WWII, working at Collins and Aikman inspecting material that was to be made into parachutes. She attended Mars Hill College where she studied voice and business. After college, she moved to Durham and began work as a secretary at Lyons Hardware and Gift Store.

Merial met and married Clark Thompson (deceased) in 1945. They had three children, John, Gary, and Dena. Their marriage ended in 1954. In 1955 she became the first woman Real Estate Agent hired by the Realtor C.E Phillips and Sons, of Durham. In 1960, she married Frank DePasquale and they had their daughter, Peggy, making it a family of six! This marriage was a long and happy one for over 50 years, with Frank passing away in 2010.

During her lifetime she especially loved music, singing at weddings and civic events, and with The Durham Choral Society for many years. She was a member of the St. Luke’s Choir for more than 30 years. She also served on St. Luke’s Altar Guild, of which she also served as president. During the early years of St. Luke’s, she even made the candles used for the services! She was an active member of ECW, and for a time served as president of this group. She took part in various other Church committees and volunteer activities including spending many Sundays after church making small bouquets for sick parishioners, using the altar flowers from the service.

Merial loved the visual arts and was a docent at the Duke Museum of Art for about 20 years and the Duke Eye Center Touchable Art Gallery for 3 years. In 1993, she received the Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

She was a Girl Scout leader, and active in the Garden Club (also serving as president). She took great joy in floral arranging and preserving and propagating the wildflowers around the home that Frank designed and built in Durham. She was an avid Bridge player, loved her daily newspaper crossword puzzle, and rarely missed a nightly Jeopardy viewing with her friend Duncan. While living at Croasdaile she greatly enjoyed attending a memoir writing class and has accumulated 10 years of amazing stories. She had quite a sense of humor and a laugh that could be heard across a large room.

Merial is survived by her four children John Thompson ( Holly), Gary Thompson ( Bennie), Dena Thomas ( Ben), Peggy DePasquale and her partner, Mark. Also surviving are her 7 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and her sister Alta Winstead of Roxboro. She is also survived by her very special companion of many years, Duncan Heron. The family is so grateful for the many ways he has made her life better, and especially for the happiness they have shared these last few years.

And lastly, the family would like to express their deep gratitude to the staff at Hock Family Pavilion for their truly angelic care of our Mother, as she entered this sacred transition in her life.

A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, February 4 at 2:00pm, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Durham NC.

Reception/visitation following the service.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in memory of Merial DePasquale to the Music Fund of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1737 Hillandale Rd. Durham, NC 27705.