Carolyn Sue Merriman

Carolyn “Sue” (Allston) Merriman, 91, of Amarillo, TX, passed away Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

Family visitation will be from 4:30-6:00 p.m., Thursday, August 28, 2025, at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

Memorial services will be at 11:00 A.M., August 29, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church. Private family interment will be in Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.

Sue was born on June 11, 1934, in Pampa, Texas, to RL and Ethel (Linn) Allston. She graduated from Amarillo High School and later attended Amarillo College. In 1952, she married Robert Mansel “Bob” Merriman at the West Amarillo Christian Church. Together, Sue and Bob owned and operated Merriman’s Fine Foods before moving to Estes Park, Colorado, where they owned a bookstore. In the mid-1980s, they returned to Amarillo. Sue became a passionate piano teacher and a published poet.

As a young girl, Sue's parents introduced her to classical and symphonic music, while her grandparents took her to "Singings," fostering her enduring love for Gospel music. She was an active member of the Amarillo Music Teachers Association, the Texas Music Teachers Association, IWA (Inspirational Writers Association), and her church. Sue enjoyed playing Bridge and Aggravation, watching Wheel of Fortune (because she liked words), and eavesdropping in public places—she would often say, “I know it’s rude, but it’s fun!” She compiled a list of things she loved, which included music, friends, writing, laughter, teaching (both Bible studies and music), mornings, summer nights, parades, the mountains, and the Christmas season, as she cherished the Christmas tree and decorations. While her list was short, it beautifully encapsulated the essence of Sue: her love for the Lord and her family—husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She concluded the list with the heartfelt sentiment, “I couldn’t wait to be a Mee Maw.”

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob Merriman, on February 10, 2019.

Survivors include a son, Michael and wife Terri, daughter, Kim Clark and husband Dave, son Todd and wife Lori; grandchildren, Anna Henderson, Michael Merriman Jr., Kristin Hendrix, Braden Clark and Casey Clark, along with seven great-grandchildren.