Terrie Soper Merritt

Terrie Soper Merritt, born on June 11, 1952 in Lexington, Missouri, was a woman who demonstrated a remarkable range of talents and passions throughout her life. She was the daughter of Billie (Wade) Collobert and Pierre Collobert, and a standout student at Lexington High School, graduating in 1970 as the recipient of the Betty Crocker Future Homemaker of the Year award.

In 1973, she married Charles "Chuck" Soper III after meeting at their mutual employer, Patent Scaffolding, in Kansas City. Their son Cameron was born in 1978. The family moved to Climax Springs, Missouri in 1983, then to the Camdenton area in 1989. Terrie had a diverse career, working in journalism, county government, and marina management before serving as the development director of the national non-profit organization Concerns of Police Survivors until 2007.

Terrie was a devoted mother to her son. Her dedication to his education and her steadfast support of his activities laid a solid foundation for his future achievements. She was so proud and involved in his life that she started introducing herself as "Cam's mom," a title that became official when she adopted the personalized license plate: CAMS-MA. She served as Cam's piano accompanist at district and state music contests. In addition, Terrie was a "band mom" and treasurer of the Pride of the Lake band booster club.

Terrie experienced the loss of her first husband Chuck in 1996. However, love reentered her life when she married William "Bill" Merritt in 2002. Together, they built a small business creating and selling unique hummingbird feeders and other gifts crafted from recycled glass and copper until Bill's death in 2020. Their work led them to travel by road across 49 states, a series of journeys that Terrie deeply cherished.

A particular point of pride for Terrie was achieving her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Columbia College in 2011, graduating Magna cum Laude and earning a consistent spot on the Dean's List. As a testament to her academic excellence, she was invited to become a member of the prestigious Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society.

Her varied interests spanned from cats, birds, and armadillos, to gardening, photography, and politics. Her fascination with hummingbirds was well known, and she loved to share her knowledge with others. Terrie was an accomplished musician who played the piano and organ throughout her life. She also recently adopted her first dog in over two decades, introducing a new companion into her life.

Terrie passed away peacefully at home on May 18, 2023, at the age of 70. She was preceded in death by her parents, both of her husbands, and her infant son, Christopher Soper. She is survived by her son Cameron Soper and daughter-in-law Michelle Soper of Kansas City, Missouri, grandsons Connor, Cade, and Collin Soper, step-son Sean Merritt and daughter-in-law Kate Merritt of Los Angeles, California, grandsons Ollie and Miles Merritt, step-daughter Larissa Merritt of Knoxville, Tennessee, brother Cort Collobert and nieces Katie and Samantha Collobert of Independence, Missouri, niece Jessica Phillips of Rice, Texas, cats Izzy and Mo, dog Clover, and the legion of hummingbirds and other wild birds that visited her yard daily.

Per her wishes, there will be no service. Memorial donations are suggested to Tucson Audubon Society Paton Center for Hummingbirds: https://tucsonaudubon.org/paton-center/