Mary Gayle Peacock Merck, 77, passed peacefully at. St. Dominics, Jackson. Visitation is at Wright & Ferguson, Flowood, Wednesday, Feb. 12th, 5-7pm, and Thurs.,13th, 1-2pm, with services to follow and burial immediately afterwards at Parkway Memorial Cemetery, Ridgeland.

Mary will be remembered for her deep, abiding love for her family, tireless work ethic, drive to improve, charitable heart, a keen sense of fair play, and straightforward personality.

Born at Jackson Infirmary in downtown Jackson, to Taylor Jones Peacock, Jr., of Pinola (Simpson County), and Noma Mayola Peacock (Smith) of Ora (Covington County), Mary grew up in West Jackson, Petal, and Pinola. Graduating from Pinola High School 1960 and Hinds Community College 1962, Mary returned to school later in life determined to finish her undergraduate degree and start a new professional phase of life after working for Jackson Public Schools, running a retail sporting goods business, and practicing real estate. Mary graduated from Mississippi College in 1992 with a Bachelor Of Science in Business Admin., and later in 1994 from the University of Tennessee with a Masters of Science in Planning. Mary graduated at the top of her class, and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society in 1994.

Licensed in real estate in Mississippi for almost 5 decades, Mary started with W. P. Bridges, ultimately owning and operating Century 21 Associated Realty of Clinton as a broker-Realtor. Following graduation, Mary was a land use planner with North Alabama Regional Council of Government and City of Fort Worth, Texas. Mary eventually returned home, holding the position of AICP-Planner and ultimately Zoning Administrator for the City of Jackson before finishing her career helping communities across the state as a planner with Neel Schaffer Engineering and serving as President, American Planning Association, Mississippi Chapter.

Set up on a blind date, Mary is survived by her husband of 53 years, Carl William Merck, and two sons, Michael George Merck and Christopher Carl Merck, each residents of Brandon; sister, Cathy Porter, nephews Russ and Ryan Porter (Rankin County); Lisa Baynes, Sarah Alice Boulware Terrell, and Jimmie Boulware, each of Metropolitan Atlanta, GA; and numerous beloved cousins.