Fialogo Fiesta Merrick

Taligafiafa’ alogolemaugamatautia Fialogo Fiesta Fitisemanu Merrick, born on October 20, 1955 in Vaimoso on the island of Upolu in (Western) Samoa to Lepapali’itele Sione and Fiasili Vaiotu Fitisemanu, passed on from this mortal world on July 16, 2020 due to heart complications.  Her life will be remembered as one spent in charity to others and service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fiesta spent her childhood in the beautiful islands of Samoa and grew up in a large family of many brothers and sisters.  Well known legend has it that she attained the elite and elusive title as favorite sibling as well as favorite aunty.  She moved from Western Samoa to American Samoa when she was young and met her future husband Jim at a church dance.  At first, she wanted nothing to do with him.  But he soon convinced her otherwise by leaving love notes to her at school and consistently asking her to dance.  Fiesta’s father, being the typical Samoan father, forbade her to even go on a date with Jim. He even threatened him and ripped the phone out of the wall when Jim called to talk to Fiesta.  Through Jim’s dedicated perseverance and after coming to the realization that Jim might actually be her soulmate, she told him, “If we are going to go on a date, we have to get married first.”  They went to the justice of the peace and set an appointment.  The justice of the peace was a friend of Sione’s and called Sione to let him know.  Sione and Fiasili realized Fiesta and Jim were serious and supported and attended their marriage.  Sione saw him as exceptionally rough around the edges, but later found that he had a heart of gold that belonged to Samoa and loved the Lord as much as he loved Sione’s daughter.

Jim and Fiesta’s love and marriage lasted 41 years on earth before Jim passed on from this world to the next in 2016 and they are enjoying the sweetest reunion in the next life at this very moment.  Fiesta served in various callings and assignments her entire life, but none were as special or as important to her as wife and mother.  She was beloved by all; except those two ladies she got in a fight with in 1984 because they blocked her kids view of the parade and refused to move.  She lived her life giving extensive and unrelenting service and charity and has been described as having “lived love without regard to reward.”  She built a home that housed dozens and dozens of children, friends, and relatives over the years.  She served a mission teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in Apia Samoa as well as San Francisco California.

She was a devoted wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents Sione and Fiasili, her husband James, her son James who died at birth, her brothers Matthew and Samuelu (Temukisa), and her sister Sylvana.  She is survived by eight children, Joseph (Alisha) Merrick , Jaison (Katie) Merrick, Joshua (Ashley Ness) Merrick, John (Kylee) Merrick, Faylynn (Kolo) Funaki, Fayrina (Irwin) Ah Hoy, Andrew (Kindra Fuentes) Ulberg, Tasi (Tony) Masoe and 36 grandchildren as well as her brothers: Tui’i (Fetai), Taioalo (Mina), Pili, Tavita, Pouesi, Marion (Haisini), Aui (Reeny), Paepae (Beatriz), and Sione (Jenn) and her sisters: Livalina, Ata, Nena (Mark), Leti, Malo (Ioelu), Afano (Tanuvasa), Kaloni (Petaia), and Perdita (Stone).  To our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend: “If all [people] could be like you, what a different world we would have: there would be no hunger, there would be no hatred, there would be no loneliness, and there would be a sure knowledge of Jesus Christ as our Savior.”

There will be a viewing on Monday July 20, 2020 at Allen Family Funeral Options at 2112 W Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, Texas 75023 from 10:00am-11:00am central time and a funeral service to begin immediately after.  Burial will start at 2pm at Lakeview Cemetery at 2343 Lake Rd., Lavon, Texas, 75166.

For those who cannot attend, please visit the webcast live starting at 10:00 am or view the recorded version later.

http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/33414