NON-LICENSED STAFF
Although they are not licensed funeral directors, these team members are vitally important to the operation of our firm. These individuals make it possible for us to professionally coordinate funerals with the quality of service our community has come to expect from us.
Darci McDaniel
Family Services Assistant
and Resource Director
Darci was born in Toledo Ohio on October 22, 1986. She is the oldest of three Children born from the union of John and Peggy (Thomas) Wiley. Both of her younger brothers (Devin & Dylan) serve in our nations' armed forces.
Darci married her husband, B.J. McDaniel, on May 19, 2007 and they have a daughter, Callie, who has born on September 23, 2010.
She is a charter member of the One Way Christian Fellowship Church of Monroe, where her husband serves as the Lead Pastor. Darci is very faithful to her church. She serves in several different positions at One Way, including as a lead Sunday School teacher to young children.
Darci loves spending time with her family, her dog, Minnie, and her two cats, Oreo and Reeces. She also loves going on family vacations, especially to her property in Northern Michigan.
Darci joined the team at Merkle Funeral Service in July of 2019. She currently works as a Family Services Assistant and for Floral Expressions assisting with design work, data entry, and deliveries. She truly considers it such an honor and a privilege to be able to serve the families of Monroe County through her positions.
In May of 2022, Darci, was promoted to the Resource Director position. In this new role she is responsible for continuing education and training for the Family Services team members.
Larry W. Merkle
Family Services Assistant
Larry William Merkle was born on May 14, 1947 in Monroe, Michigan the oldest son of three born to Donald Merkle and Dorothy (Noble) Merkle Guczwa. He was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church and attended the Lutheran day school. He would move on to Jefferson High School and graduate with the Class of 1965. Larry’s father would pass away in 1967 at the age of 37 and although times were tough he found a way to work his way through college. Larry attended Monroe County Community College graduating in the school’s first class. He continued his studies earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University.
Larry was employed as the Office Manager for Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery in Flat Rock and then for the Monroe County Road Commission in the mid 1970's and early 1980's. He would take a position with Roselawn Memorial Park in LaSalle, retiring in August of 2007 as General Manager a position he had held for twenty-seven years.
Larry has given a lifetime to his community. He was a member of the Michigan National Guard from 1970-1976. He found his life’s calling when he joined the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department in December of 1971. He quickly earned the respect of his fellow firefighters and was promoted to Lieutenant, Captain, and then Assistant Chief. In 1983, he was selected as the Fire Chief serving in this capacity for thirty-six years from April 26, 1983 until his retirement on April 26, 2019.
Under his tutelage the Monroe Township Fire Department became highly respected in the community. During his tenure as Chief, Larry, was able to replace all of the fire department apparatus and purchase countless pieces of equipment to make firefighting safer and provide more services to Monroe Township. He was also able to work with elected officials to build a training facility on LaPlaisance Road, a satellite fire station on West Dunbar Road, and finally a state of the art headquarters, which was dedicated in his honor and named after him, on South Dixie Highway.
Larry has served in many capacities in the Fire and EMS community. A State Certified Fire Instructor, he is a Past President of Monroe County Chiefs and Firefighters Associations. Larry is a past co-director of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team where he assists in debriefings. He served on the Monroe County Medical Control Board, Monroe County 911 Board, and served 5 years as the Assistant Clerk Secretary for the Monroe County Road Commission. He is also a member of the Corl-Gaynier AM-Vets Post 1942.
Larry is often seen lending a hand at Merkle Funeral Service assisting on gatherings, services, and with permanent memorials. He continues to be an active, lifetime member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he formerly served as an Usher and as an Elder.
Larry is a past recipient of the Kiwanis Firefighter of the Year Award and in 2023 he was selected as the Monroe County Community College Alumnus of the Year.
His life has been made even more full by marrying the love of his life the former, Marilyn Voss on December 6, 1975. They make their home with their cock-a-poo: Finnegan. The couple were blessed with two sons, both of whom have served in EMS and Funeral Service, Brian (Tammy) and Michael (Penny). Larry and Marilyn enjoy travel, especially loving time spent in Northern Michigan. He enjoys reading, spending time with his wife; children; four grandchildren: Olivia, Merin, Ethan, and William; and four grandpuppies: Layla, Zeus, Lucy, and Liza.
Kim Haynes
Family Services Assistant
Kimberly Haynes, Family Services Assistant; is a great asset to the Merkle Funeral Service team, joining in January of 2013. She focuses her attention to the needs of the families that we are serving. Kimberly is a lifelong resident of Monroe. She graduated in the class of 1992 from Monroe High School. She has three wonderful children: Kaitlyn, Dawson, and Lauryn.
Kimberly enjoys the values of family, she spends all of her free time with her children, enjoying long walks, and bicycle rides through the neighborhood. When she is able, she is always up for a show at the movie theatre.
Richard Gloff
Family Services Assistant
Richard Gloff is a lifelong resident of the Dundee Community. He graduated from Dundee High School in 1968 and obtained his Associate’s Degree from Monroe County Community College in 1970. As a young man, Richard, began working at his father’s grocery store, Gloff’s Market in Downtown Dundee. He continued throughout his schooling working fulltime after college until the store closed in 1979.
For a period of time, Richard, worked at Foodtown in Dundee. He would later become a custodian at his church, St. John Lutheran Church serving from 1982-2014, Trinity Lutheran School in Monroe from 2009-2015, and then Dundee Methodist Church from 2014-2020.
Richard married the former Renae Seegert on July 18, 2009. Through his marriage to Renae, Richard was blessed with three grown children and eleven grandchildren. The couple continue to make their home in Dundee with their one dog, two cats, and two birds. He enjoys woodworking in his free time.
Richard started his career in funeral service for Robert and Cheryl Cover at the Cover Funeral Home in January of 1986. He continued in this capacity until the company was sold in October of 2018. During the transition, Richard, became a part of the Merkle Funeral Service team in August of 2018. Richard loves giving back to his community and appreciates the opportunity to serve others through the funeral ministry at Merkle’s.
Sandy Ucci
Family Services Assistant
Sandy was born in Lansing, Michigan. After graduation in 1978 she moved to Monroe. She has two adult children, Nicole and Nicholas. Sandy also has five grandchildren, and is expecting her first great grandchild.
Sandy was a homemaker for many years before taking employment with Howard Ternes Company for four years. She became a pharmacy technician in 1997 and worked at CVS until 2000. From 2002 until 2005 Sandy volunteered at the Bennett Funeral Homes Monroe and Erie as a Directors Assistant. She has been with Merkle Funeral Service since we opened in July of 2007.
A cancer survivor, Sandy is a dedicated volunteer and participant in the Relay for Life. She loves to read and to spend time with her family and grandchildren. Sandy is a loving, caring person and enjoys the opportunity to serve others at the funeral home.
Joni Sue Brow
Family Services Assistant
Joni S. Brow, Family Services Director; as a great asset to the Merkle Funeral Services team, Joni focuses her attention to the concerns of our guests during family gatherings and Celebration of Life ceremonies.
Joni graduated from Saint Mary Academy. As a single parent, Joni worked hard as an office janitor and babysitter to support and raise her 2 children, Jessica and David in Carleton. She served locally for 6 years as Campfire leader and 4 years as a 4-H Club leader. Most of her spare time now is concentrated on her grandchildren.
Joni’s ministry involved serving at St. Vincent de Paul as a food distributor. She continues as a devout supporter of the Salvation Army’s big red kettle and of the Veterans of America. She is consistent to hang yellow and red/white/blue ribbons in honor of our many men and women who bravely serve our country.
Joni loves NASCAR and is an enthusiastic Tiger fan. She loves to garden, go to garage sales, participate in arts/crafts and decorate for the changing seasons.
Bernie Regnier
Family Services Assistant
Bernie was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He is the youngest of eight children and graduated from Benedictine High School. He went to work at Detroit Diesel in 1964 and retired as a material handling supervisor 36 years later.
He married his high school sweetheart, Mary Jo O’Connell in 1965. They moved to the Monroe area and built a home in 1977 in Ida, raising four children who now all have families and have blessed them with eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, enjoying some great babysitting times!
After his retirement and making a few fun excursions in his motor home, he returned to the working world in his nephew’s tree service for a couple years, getting lots of exercise. He then spent three years at Consumers Power doing security work. Bernie joined the staff at Merkle Funeral Service in May of 2013.
As a cancer survivor, he enjoys volunteering to raise funds for the Cancer Society. He loves family get-together’s, golfing, hunting, and some wood working projects on the side. Also, he avidly follows his Tiger and Red Wing Teams.
Bernie is an active member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Bedford, serving as an usher and helping with funeral luncheons. He is also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus.
In Memoriam
Leon A. Merkle
Family Services Assistant Emeritus
Leon Allan Merkle was born on August 11, 1954, at the Monroe Hospital in Monroe, Michigan. He was the youngest of three sons born to the union of Donald Lee Merkle and Dorothy Ruth (Noble) Merkle – Guczwa. He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church also graduating from their grade school in 1967. He continued his education at Jefferson and then Monroe High School.
Leon married the love of his life the former, Brenda Kay (Gonyon) Frederick at the Chapel of Trinity Lutheran Church on January 15, 1976. The couple were blessed with a daughter, Lisa and Leon cared for Brenda’s children: Christene and Joe as if they were his own. For many years, Leon, was employed as a Laborer for Local 465. He worked on numerous construction projects throughout Southeast Michigan including the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power Plant. After an auto accident forced a medical retirement from the Union, Leon and Brenda moved to Northern Michigan purchasing a farm in Marion in October of 1992. He loved taking care of the livestock and working the ground. He was especially proud of his John Deere tractor. Eventually the couple moved from the farm to Cadillac, Michigan for a few years prior to returning back to Monroe in 2004.
For several years, Leon performed landscaping for local residents and businesses, working alongside his friend, Ron Johnson. With his love for the outdoors, Leon always found a way to stay busy. For many years he enjoyed fishing and boating, snowmobiling and motorcycling, and hunting and camping. He loved to have a good time and was often the life of the party with a Miller Hi-Life in his hand.
In 2012, Leon truly found his life’s calling when he joined the family business at Merkle Funeral Service. As a Family Services Assistant, Leon took on many responsibilities to help families in their time of need. From painstakingly maintaining the funeral home landscaping and facilities to working gatherings and services, he was always a familiar and comforting face to grieving families. He was well-liked and well-respected by his fellow teammates and well-loved by those he served. When declining health required that he step away from a position he loved he always vowed to return so he could continue to make a difference.
Leon Allan Merkle, age 69, of Monroe passed away at 10:25am on Wednesday; January 31, 2024, at his home. He had fought a valiant fight the past few years with Parkinsons Disease. Surrounded by his loving family he had been under the care of hospice. His passing was preceded by his father: Donald Merkle; his mother: Dorothy Guczwa – Merkle; his paternal grandparents: William and Florence Merkle; and a grandson: Jordan Frederick.
To cherish his memory, he leaves his beloved wife of forty-eight years: Brenda Kay Merkle of Monroe; a daughter: Lisa Merkle of Marion, Michigan; two stepchildren: Christene Frederick of Monroe and Joe Frederick of Cadillac, Michigan; two brothers: Larry W. (Marilyn S.) Merkle and Ronald (Brenda) Merkle both of Monroe; two grandchildren: Chelsey Slevoski (Justin Davis) of Leroy, Michigan and Jarid Frederick of Reed City, Michigan; two great grandchildren: Paisley and Daisy Davis; two nieces: Jodi (Chris) Gelso and Brandi (Bill) Foley both of Monroe; two nephews: Brian S. (Tammy) Merkle and Michael (Penny) Merkle both of Monroe; nine great nieces and nephews; and a host of cousins.
In Memoriam
Bill Tezak
Family Services Assistant Emeritus
William Michael Tezak Jr. was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on August 25, 1942. He was one of two children born from the union of the late William Michael and Harriet (Risner) Tezak Sr. Bill attended Sandusky High School. He enlisted in the United States Navy leaving school early in 1960 to join his crew on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier. Bill married the love of his life the former, Juanita Ellison on July 22, 1961 in Monroe. He continued his honorable service to our country until his discharge in 1963.
Bill was a loving and devoted husband and father. He supported his family for twenty-two years as a Manager for Purolator Courier Service. He also served four years as a part-time police officer in Pemberville, Ohio. Bill was very active in Boy Scouts serving as a Scoutmaster for many years with Troop 344.
After retirement, Bill and Juanita returned to the Monroe area. Bill would work as a custodian for Monroe Public Schools for seven years. The couple were active members of North Monroe Street Church of God where, Juanita served as secretary and Bill was the Head Usher for many years and the custodian for three years. In 2007, Bill joined the team at Merkle Funeral Service as a Family Services Assistant. His work and dedication was instrumental as he helped the fledgling company establish its ministry.
Bill was a private person. He loved to praise his Lord, and was very fond of music often singing or playing the guitar, mandolin, or keyboard. He was also very proud of his family. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. For many years Bill shared his love of auto racing with his son and grandsons often watching super modified sprint car racing at the dirt Fremont race track. Those who knew Bill best understood his love of sweets and considered him a food connoisseur.
Bill, age 76, of Monroe passed away at home on Friday, November 9, 2018 with his beloved family by his side. He had been under the care of ProMedica Monroe Hospice.
To cherish his memory he leaves a beloved wife of fifty-seven years: Juanita of Monroe; a son: William Michael (April) Tezak III of Monroe; a sister: Betty Jo (Richard) Davis of Daytona Beach, Florida; three grandsons: William Michael (Carrie) Tezak IV of Toledo, Christopher James (Kimberly) Tezak of Bowling Green, and John Curtis (Amber) Kamprath of Monroe; four great grandchildren: Logan James Tezak, Cassandra Rose Tezak, Jessica Lily Tezak, and Amaya Kay Tezak; and numerous nieces and nephews.
