Jeffrey A. Merchant

Mr. Jeffrey A. Merchant, of Bay City, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, April 29, 2016 at McLaren Bay Region, age 56. The son of the late Louis E. and Jean L. (Lowe) Merchant, he was born on August 11, 1959 in Bay City. Jeff was a heavy machine operator with Billy's Contracting. He loved spending time with his grandchildren. Jeff was an avid racing and NASCAR fan. He raced stock cars at Tri-City Speedway and Standish Speedway, and was currently building and racing riding lawnmowers.
Jeff is survived by his four children, Chari Wagner of Florida and Jessica Merchant, Jeffrey Merchant and Matthew Merchant, all of Bay City; his grandchildren, Andrew and Madyson Merchant; two brothers, Dan (Maxine) Merchant of Saginaw and Stephen Merchant of Bay City; two sisters, Elizabeth (Robert) Girou of Essexville and Julie (Donald) Schwartz of Bay City; and several nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, Jeff was also preceded in death by a brother, James (Carol) Merchant.
It was Jeff's desire for cremation to take place. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. For those who so desire, memorial contributions may be made to the wishes of the family. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Gephart Funeral Home, Inc. www.gephartfuneralhome.com