Obituary of Merle Duty

Services for Merle D. Duty, 84, Troup, will be at 10:00 am, Monday, August 19, in the First Baptist Church, Troup, with Doctor Paul Saylors officiating. Burial will be in Pincecrest Cemetery, near Troup. Arrangements are under direction of Cottle Funeral Home. Mr. Duty died Friday, August 16, 2013 in a Tyler hospital. He was born March 6, 1929 in Jacksonville, to the late George Dewey and Allie Mae Gray Duty and was a lifelong resident of Troup. He attended TJC, Tyler and served in the US Army. He married JoAnn Carlisle April 30, 1951 in Arp and retired from Trane Company in Tyler, where he worked in quality control. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Troup. Merle was surrounded by the ones he treasured most, his family, as he left this world and was ushered into Heaven. He was known and loved by a multitude of people that he met along the way in his 84 year journey. Anyone who knew him, knows that he never met a stranger and cared deeply for others. If anyone in his community of Blackjack needed anything, they knew they could call on him and he would do whatever he could to help them. Merle and his beloved wife JoAnn, enjoyed the years they spent traveling and camping across the country, making lifelong friends along the way. Many of those trips were shared with grandchildren, making wonderful memories that would last them a lifetime. He was a loving husband, daddy and pa - a kind and compassionate man who loved life. He will be greatly missed by everyone, including his little dog Beau, and remembered by all as "a good man".  Besides his parents, Mr. Duty was also preceded in death by a son, Michael Dewey Duty, two brothers, Randall Duty and Melvin Duty; and a sister, Laverne Shuttlesworth.  Survivors include his wife of 62 years, JoAnn Duty, Troup; two daughters and sons-in-law, Alicia Ann and David Toole, and Teresa Lynn and Bobby Shockley, all of Whitehouse; six grandchildren, Jason, Daniel, Caleb and Allison Toole, and Cody Heath and Blake Shockley; his faithful and loving canine friend, Beau; and several nieces and nephews.   Pallbearers will be grandsons, Jason Toole, Daniel Toole, Caleb Toole and Cody Heath Shockley and Blake Shockley, and sons-in-law, David Toole and Bobby Shockley. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Sunday, August 18.