Marcia Meher

Funeral Recording

Marcia Rae Meher, 66, of Murray, UT passed away after fighting a courageous four-year battle with liver cancer.

Marcia came into this world in Spokane, Washington, the youngest of five children born to Beulah and Maurice Vercruysse. She spent her childhood in Davenport, Washington and was a graduate of Davenport High School’s Class of ‘72 as well as a member of the school’s Spirit Team.

Her father passed away when Marcia was only six.  Prior to his passing he was the owner/operator of a local bakery.  Those early years of being around the bakery with her dad established Marcia’s lifetime love of all things cooking.

Post high school, she worked as a dental assistant for a few years in Davenport and Spokane before moving to Portland, Oregon in 1980 where she assisted her brother Rick build his new cookie company.  She next worked in the cosmetics department at Meier & Frank (later Macy’s) Department Store in Clackamas, Oregon.  It was at that time that she met David Meher, the man who would become her husband, father to her daughter, and friend.  During her failing health he would also be her caretaker.  Though Marcia and David would get a civil divorce, they remained close friends.  They were sealed for time and eternity in the Seattle Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 14, 1983.

Marcia’s kind, sensitive and loving nature made her the perfect person for childcare and she spent several years providing in-home care for children of working parents.  It would be a massive injustice to her and her contribution to think of her work as just babysitting.  She was like a second mother, a best friend, and a teacher to those kids.  Because of her selfless efforts, there are a few fortunate people who were given an extraordinary start to life and a solid foundation for a better future.  At the same time she was caring for other’s children, she was carrying her own.  During that time, she found that eating pretzels helped ease the upset stomach associated with the pregnancy.  Because of the large amount of pretzels she ate, one of those young children she cared for, who had difficulty pronouncing “pretzel,” would give her a pet name that stuck with her all the way to her death and beyond:  Marshie Kretzel.

Among Marcia’s favorite places was Astoria, Oregon, her place of residence from 1994 - 1996.  Marcia loved everything associated with the small-town way of life.  Astoria not only provided that, but it had the added benefit of being close to the ocean where she would spend a great deal of her free time enjoying the natural beauty that would bring her the peacefulness she craved.  Her love of the beach would stick with her for the rest of her life.  During the time she lived in Astoria, she returned briefly to being a dental assistant for Dr. Duane Jue.

Marcia moved with her family to Murray, Utah in 1996; the place she would call home for the remainder of her life.  It was in Murray she accepted a job working tirelessly as the afterhours custodian for Liberty Elementary School.  She took a great deal of pride in her work and became a familiar face as well as beloved friend to many of the faculty and students of Liberty.  It would be common for her to cross paths with former Liberty students who ran into her at local stores, malls and other public places where they came up to her with huge smiles and enthusiastic greetings.  She left a lasting impact on many as a result of her work at Liberty.

In late December 2016, her life would take a drastic turn when she received the word that she had cancer of the liver.  Following the diagnosis, she would be forced into early retirement and would refocus her energy on the fight to regain her health.

Marcia’s greatest love by far was her family, especially her daughter Nicole.  Her daughter was her life, her light and her heartbeat.  No matter how dark things got, when she was around family it seemed she gained a renewed sense of youthfulness which helped her to momentarily forget her cancer blues.  When she was feeling down, she would say, “I need a Nikki fix.”  She had dreamed for most of her adult life that once retired she would be able to enjoy her other loves of travel, cooking and crafting.  But life threw her a curve and, lacking the energy to do the things she had hoped for, she instead spent her retirement years dreaming of better times when life was simpler.  She developed interests in things she could do with her new limitations; jigsaw puzzles, word puzzles, reading, watching cooking shows and nostalgic television became her recovery hobbies.  Her favorite travel spot was the north Oregon coast and specifically Gleneden Beach, which was her favorite beach location during the Astoria years.  During her cancer battle, she was able to enjoy a short uplifting reunion with her siblings and other family as well as a trip to the coast where she would experience one of her favorite pastimes: searching for sand dollars and agates on the Oregon beaches.

She was a member of the Jefferson Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Marcia was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice and Beulah, her brother and sister-in-law Mike (Jan) Vercruysse, and niece Hillary Vercruysse.  She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Nicole (Saige) Kaye, sisters Maureen (Jack) Mooney and Sharon Vercruysse, brother Rick Vercruysse, niece and nephews Colleen, Kevin and Keith Mooney, and Marc Vercruysse, cousins Lois and Dean, aunts and uncles, and the person she affectionately referred to as her wasband, David Meher.

The funeral service will be held at Cannon Mortuary in Cottonwood Heights, Utah on Friday January 8th at 12:00 noon.  A public viewing from 10:30-11:45 a.m. Friday will precede the funeral services.  Burial will be at Crescent Cemetery in Sandy, Utah.

The family would like to express a special thank you to all of Marcia’s friends that have offered support and care both before and after her cancer diagnosis.  Your friendship and support meant so much to her and helped her through her health and other challenges.  We would also like to thank the staff at Cannon Mortuary who have been so caring and helpful during this difficult time.  You have lightened our load during a very difficult time.

Due to the current health situation, funeral services will be limited. Extended family and friends are invited to watch the services via a live webcast starting at 12:00 p.m. on Friday,  January 8th by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page.
Services can also be watched during service or later on either of the following link - https://www.facebook.com/CannonMortuary