William Dwayne Merritt, Jr.

December 23, 1963 - July 26, 2020

William Dwayne Merritt, Jr. was a loving husband and father of two boys. He passed away at the age of 56 on July 26, 2020, in Memphis, TN. He is survived by his parents William and Carolyn, his wife Marie, his two children, Ryan (Madison) and Casey, and his sister Kim. William, known as “WD” by many, was born in Memphis on December 23, 1963. He grew up playing soccer in the Parkway Village neighborhood and graduated from Sheffield High School, class of ‘82. He attended the University of Memphis where he obtained a degree in Criminal Justice. William went on to work for the Memphis Police Department for 28 years. On October 24, 1986 William married Yvonne Marie Cravens. Marie always described William as her soulmate, and the two loved each other very much. William loved being a family man. He never missed a school trip or sporting event. He frequently took his kids on Father-son trips for bonding time, and he went on special trips with Marie. William was known for his humility. When WD was at home, he never talked about his talent for his job, but whenever his co-workers got the chance, they’d make sure to tell his wife and kids how amazing of an investigator he was. Serving others was a passion for WD. He invested time every week helping children at LaRose Elementary with their reading. He served as security for the children’s area at Highland Church of Christ where he and his family were members. William had an infectious personality, and he always knew how to make his co-workers laugh. He always described his co-workers as family. Whatever William did, he did it humbly and with all his heart. May we all strive to be more like “WD.” A family-only memorial service will be held on Friday, July 31, 2020. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Arise2Read. For the past several years William was passionate about participating in this reading program, and he would have loved to see it get more recognition and support. Donate online at www.arise2read.org or mail to ARISE2Read 5885 Ridgeway Center Pkwy. Ste.210 Memphis, TN 38120.