Merrilyn Hall, beloved mom, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, went home to be with the Lord on

Thursday, August 29, 2024. Born in Greenville, SC, on July 3, 1942, to the late Edgar Dock

Barton and Caldonia (Cal Doney) Nalley Barton, she moved to the Columbia area in the 70s. In

the early 80s she became a real estate broker and soon after founded Merrilyn Hall Realty Inc.,

becoming the first woman to both own and operate a real estate brokerage in the Midlands of

South Carolina. She faithfully, lovingly and passionately served the Lord, her family and

hundreds of clients through the years. Her daughters, April Alsup and Lisa Campbell, hope and

plan to continue her legacy of service through their family real estate business.

She was a lady who set the standard for loving generosity and hard work. She was truly a

modern-day Renaissance woman, able to repair, fix or solve most breaks, problems and

puzzles with amazing ingenuity and positivity. She was a self-taught engineer, a female

MacGyver before MacGyver was even born. If you ever needed something, it might be in her

trunk, as she loved being prepared. She also loved and excelled at forging paths through

seeming obstacles. She was creative, bright, driven & motivated to carry out so many loving

actions for so many. Some may have experienced her strong side, as she could hold her own in

a room full of men, put people acting foolishly in their place, outbully any bully and make you

personally want to do better.

Knowing her more personally, she could make you laugh, teach you to sew and cook something

delicious for you. Her fried okra and fish, from-scratch cornbread or homemade cheese biscuits

were some favorites. Don't forget the collard greens! She was always there when you needed

her, always loving and protecting her family with a certain fierceness.

She was amazing at mental math, lie detection and knowing what you need when you don't

know. She had a lovely singing voice and was a good dancer. She enjoyed taking her daughters

to the square dance or dancing the shag. She also liked the outdoors and took them fishing and

snow skiing and on many other wonderful adventures! One of her favorite hobbies was

meteorology.

She always lived by the example of the Golden Rule and readily extended grace for failings.

Her well lived out examples of love and grace, together with hard work and amazing

accomplishments, are a legacy which we are grateful for. She is deeply missed.

She is survived by two daughters, Lisa Virginia Campbell (Dale) of Chapin and April Lynnett

Alsup (Matt) of Irmo; grandchildren, Smiley Campbell, Alexa Alsup, Christabelle Campbell and

Ava Lou Alsup; nieces, Cindy Alexander, Tammy McGeorge, Lisa Hall, Cherie Hall,; nephews,

Kenneth Pace, Douglas Nalley, Chris Nalley, Olen Hall, Scott Hall and Shane Hall. She is also

survived by her brother-in-law, Melvin Pace, together with many dear friends and "adopted

children" who she mothered through the years, Min, Glen, Connie and more. She loved her

family very much.

In addition to her parents, she was also predeceased by her sisters, Margaret Pace and Jean Nalley, and her brothers, Melvin Barton and Morlan Barton.

A family graveside service will be held at 3pm on Monday, September 9, 2024 at Mountain Creek Baptist Church Cemetery,  255 W. Mtn Creek Church Rd, Greenville, SC 29609. The family will have visitation in the church prior to the services, beginning at 2pm.

A drop-in Celebration of Life will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025, at the Family Life Center at Our Lady of the Hills Catholic Church, 120 Marydale Lane, Columbia, SC 29210. The Family Life Center is located behind the church at the end of Marydale Lane. View the invitation here: https://evite.me/Mx3aazyNUy

Memorial contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation (30, East 33rd Street, New York, New York, 10016 or by going to their website: Donations@kidney.org) or to the Salvation Army https://give.salvationarmyusa.org.

Whitaker Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Merrilyn Hall.