Merilyn J. (Pirtle) Westby was born August 6, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan. She passed away Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at home under hospice care at the age of 80.  Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, September 5, 2020 at Pius XII Newman Center in Brookings with burial to follow at St. Thomas More Cemetery.  Visitations will be 4-7 P.M. Friday, September 4th at Eidsness Funeral Home.  The funeral Mass will be lived-streamed on Pius XII Newman Center's Facebook page. Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association.

Merilyn graduated from Lakeview High School in Long Beach, California. She ran a daycare out of her home in Brookings and helped to raise numerous children in that capacity.

Merilyn married Carl Westby on August 16, 1958. They had six children together: John (Mina) Westby of Nagoya, Japan; Carolyn Westby of Huron, South Dakota, Steven (and fiancée, Nicole Bergerson) of Norfolk, Nebraska; Ann (Chad) Lamer of Corvallis, Oregon; Theresa (Dan) Steffes of North Oaks, Minnesota; and Carl R. Westby of Brookings. She lived to see twelve grandchildren.

Merilyn is survived by her siblings: Robert (Linda) Pirtle of Nevada, Charles Denny Pirtle of Washington, Barbara Susan Graack of Washington, and Margaret Pirtle of Kansas. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry Pirtle and Barbara Baker, her brother Edward Pirtle, and her husband.

Merilyn was actively involved in Catholic Campus Parish and in the Girl Scouts, where she served both as a Troop Leader and a District Coordinator. She greatly enjoyed playing with her grandchildren, preparing traditional family meals, and spending time with family and friends. She was known for her devotion to her children and grandchildren, her laugh, and her generous heart.