Nov. 20, 1957 – July 23, 2012

VIDALIA — Services for Clifton L. “Cliff” Merritt, 54, of Vidalia, who died Monday, July 23, 2012, at his home, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of Vidalia with the Rev. Bill McCullin officiating.

Visitation will be from noon until service time Thursday at the church and one hour immediately following the service.

Arrangements are under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home in Vidalia.

Cliff was born Nov. 20, 1957, in Natchez, the son of Delcy Ray Merritt and Dulcie Ruth Geter Merritt.

Cliff received his bachelor of science in forestry from Louisiana Tech University in 1980, followed by his master’s of business administration in finance in 1981. He began his banking career at Louisiana National Bank in Baton Rouge in 1981, in the management trainee program. He was named president of Premier Bank in Ruston in 1996, and was named Outstanding Young Business Man of Lincoln Parish. Cliff became president and CEO of Delta Bank (formerly Louisiana Central Bank) in Vidalia in 1998.

He served as past president of the Natchez Chamber of Commerce, the Vidalia Chamber of Commerce and chairman of United Way. He was named Business Man of the Year for the Vidalia Chamber and was a member of the Ferriday Rotary Club and Lions Club of Vidalia.

Cliff served on the board of the Delta Music Museum. He also served on the Louisiana Bankers Association Bankers Benefits of La/La Bankers Service Corporation as chairman and was a Government Relations Council member and Agricultural Committee member. He was a Rural Ag America Committee member of the Independent Community Bankers Association and board member of the Financial Institution Service Corporation (FISC) and an Inaugural Member of the FISC Risk Management Committee. Cliff also served on the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association Board and the College of Administration and Business Advisory Board at Louisiana Tech.

Cliff had been honored for the past three years with the Cliff Merritt Golf Tournament to raise funds for cancer awareness, raising more than $50,000 to aide in cancer research. The family extends sincere thanks to the tournament organizers and dear friends, Fred and Sandy Middleton, Dr. Robbie Savant, Howard Jones, Dr. Bill Hurt and Ouida Dobson.

Cliff was preceded in death by his an infant son; his father; one brother-in-law, Wardy Daniels; and one cousin, Stanley Bland Jr.

Survivors include his wife, Debra; two daughters, Katie and her fiancé, Drew Paulovich, both of Lafayette, Colo., and Jessie of Starkville; his mother; one brother, Buddy Merritt of Sterlington, La.; five sisters, Gloria Bland and husband, Stanley, of Natchez, Dorothy Brown and husband, Millard of Tylertown, Dianna Walker and husband, Rick, of Junction City, Ark., Janice Turnage and husband, Donnie, and Elaine Daniels, all of Vidalia; a number of nieces, nephews and their families; and his loving and devoted Delta Bank family in Vidalia, Ferriday, Tallulah and Lake Providence.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Internal Medicine of Natchez, especially Cliff’s doctor and friend, Ed Daly and his nurse, Judy, Dr. Jack Rodriguez and staff, Dr. Rod Givens and staff, Camillia Hospice, Reeves Drug Store and Colvins Pharmacy. Special thanks to the employees of Delta Bank, the board of directors and chairman, Brian Campbell, for their support and love.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Vidalia Sanctuary Building Fund, 100 N. Hickory St., Vidalia, LA 71373 or The Cliff Merritt Scholarship Fund at Delta Bank, P.O. Box 930, Vidalia, LA 71373.