Jenny Elizabeth Mercer, 34, died Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Mercer lived on Hilton Head Island and Pittsburgh as a young girl and recently moved back to Hilton Head Island from Laguna Beach.
Mercer was a graduate of Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H. While at Proctor Academy she participated in the “Semester at Sea” program, sailing from New Bedford, Mass., through the Caribbean. While attending Proctor she also spent a semester studying in Segovia, Spain. Upon graduation, Mercer attended Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C., where she majored in outdoor education.
Mercer looked at the world around her with enthusiasm and eyes sparkling with excitement. She was such a spiritual beacon in our lives with a smile and eyes that would brighten a room and with so much love to give. She was strong but insightful and always sensitive regarding how others close to her were feeling. She was a giver and a best friend and unwavering supporter. She was protective of living things and of those she loved.
In Mercer’s abbreviated life she had never met a stranger. Among her many adventures, she had engaged in projects as diverse as raising a timber wolf to donating her time at the Friendship Shelter in Laguna Beach.
She had a great passion for all outdoor activities including competitive snow boarding and planting her beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. She was on her way to the beach to view the solar eclipse of Sunday morning when she was struck by a hit and run vehicle. Her love of nature was her last venture.
Her beautiful smile, her love of life and her caring spirit will be missed by all. She was truly beloved.
Mercer is survived by her mother, Diana Mercer Imler of Hilton Head; father and stepmother, H. Fred Mercer, III and Gina Martone Mercer of Pittsburgh, Penn.; brother, Todd Mercer of Pittsburgh; stepsister, Theresa Brinsa of Savannah, Ga.; stepbrother, Lucas Brinsa of Hilton Head; and special uncle, William G. Berka, III (Buddy) of Cape Cod, Mass.
Family and friends were received at The Island Funeral Home, Thursday, Nov. 7. A memorial will be held in Laguna Beach at a future date.
