Mrs. Joan M. Merritt, 84, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at Beverly Hospital. Born in Wellesley, she was the daughter of the late Willard H. and Sadie (Doyle) Bennett. She was the beloved wife of Travis M. Merritt, with whom she celebrated 64 years of marriage.

Joan was raised and educated in Somerville, and graduate from Somerville High School. After graduation she met the love of her life, Travis, and they married in 1959. Having a caring nature, Joan went on to become a healthcare worker at the Kennedy Day School at Franciscan Children’s in Boston for 22 years. Later in life she worked for Carmelite Gift Shop in the Northshore Mall for 12 years, and most recently in Market Basket in Rowley.

Her greatest achievement in life was motherhood and raising her family. Joan was a communicant of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Topsfield, where she was also a member of their prayer group. She was also a parishioner at Saint Mary’s in Danvers, where she served as a lector. In her leisure, Joan enjoyed cooking, baking, and doing crafts. She also loved spending her time in nature, canoeing in the Ipswich River and the Magalloway River in Maine and spending time at the beach with her children.

Joan will be remembered for her faith, and love of family, for her kindness, compassion and generosity to not only family, friends, but strangers also.

In addition to her beloved husband, Travis, Joan is survived by her sons; Ronald Spilman and his wife Joanne of Saugus, Kenneth Spilman and his wife Sharon of Derry, NH, and Shawn Merritt and his wife Whitney of Ayer, along with grandchildren; Melissa, Rene, Hannah, and Zachary, and great-grandchildren; Joshua, Andrew, Ryan, Blake, and Aisley. Joan is preceded in death by her son T.J. Merritt, and her siblings; Joseph Bennett, Robert Bennett, and Richard Bennett, and her beloved pup Snoots.

ARRANGEMENT: Relatives and friends are invited to her funeral service which will be held at St. Rose of Lima Parish, 12 Park St, Topsfield, MA on Friday, June 30th at 11 A.M. Visiting hours will be at O’Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 167 Maple St., (Rte. 62) DANVERS on Thursday, June 29th from 4 to 7 P.M. Burial in Pine Grove Cemetery, Topsfield. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Joan’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105, or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka KS 66675. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.