September 15, 2013

A funeral Mass for Olga Paris Merino, 80, of Decatur will be celebrated Fri., Sept. 20, at 10 a.m., preceded by visitation from 9-10 a.m. at the same location.

Burial will follow at Burningtree Memorial Gardens. A prayer service and visitation will be Thurs., Sept. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church in Decatur.

Mrs. Merino died Sun. Sept. 15, 2013. She was born in New York City, NY, May 23, 1933, raised in Costa Rica and moved to Alabama in 1958 with her husband, Alfonso Merino. During her spare time when not raising five children, she was a member of the St. Ann’s Catholic Church Altar Society, a Girl Scouts troop leader, church secretary, Eucharistic minister, and involved in the Cursillo movement. She was also a writer and assistant editor for The Decatur Daily, Spanish interpreter for the Morgan County Health Department and the Decatur Police Department, and arbiter in all family disputes. She was a constant to all who knew her, a loving companion and a devoted mother.

She is survived by her husband, Alfonso Merino of Decatur; her children and their spouses include Brenda and Jerry O’Rourke of Slidell, LA; Steven Merino of Fort Lauderdale, FL; Patricia and Kurt Siepman of Chicago, IL; Michael Merino and Julia Hodges of Washington, DC; Sean Merino of Birmingham; her grandchildren and their spouses include Cristina Sparkman of West Hollywood, Calif; Brandon and Shelli Sparkman of Cypress, Texas; Lauren Peebles of Destin, Fla.; Claiborne and Juan Saldarriaga of Marina del Rey, Calif.

Pallbearers will be John Doss, Jerry O’Rourke, Brent Peebles, Dennis Quintavalle, John Reno and Kurt Siepman.