Constance ‘Conni’ Ann Diehl (Merritt), 60, of Melbourne, Passed Away Peacefully Oct. 11 Surrounded By Family

She will be remembered for her warmth, steady strength, generous spirit and loving presence

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Constance ‘Conni’ Ann Diehl (Merritt), age 60, of Melbourne, Florida, passed away peacefully on October 11, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Born December 15, 1964, on a U.S. Army base in Giessen, Germany, Constance was the cherished youngest child of Sylvester A. Merritt Jr. and Cozette Merritt. An army brat who moved often as a child, she and her family settled in Iowa during her teenage years, where she later started her family before moving to Florida in 2005.

Constance earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Paralegal Certification and later became a business owner.

She delighted in life’s small pleasures: laughter, reading, caring for the many pets who shared her home, traveling and camping with her husband and being a devoted mother and Mimi to her grandchildren.

Constance was a devout Christian whose faith guided every part of her life. A faithful member of her church, she found comfort and purpose in prayer, Scripture, and service. Her quiet witness, hospitality, and commitment to caring for others reflected her deep trust in God and her desire to live out Christ’s love each day.

Constance lived up to the words of Proverbs 31:25–26: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

Constance poured herself into her family and community, raising four children and finding great joy in the company of her grandchildren. She will be remembered for her warmth, steady strength, generous spirit, and loving presence.

Constance loved mentoring others, serving her community, planning family gatherings, telling stories from her childhood to her kids and grandchildren with her miraculous memory, and creating new memories that will be treasured for generations.

She is survived by her husband, Doug Diehl; her mother, Cozette Merritt (Lafave); her children Mallory (Gary) Johnson, Megan (Frank) Ingo, Samantha (Desmond) Newbold, and Hunter McCoy; grandchildren Kendall and Kingston Johnson, Jamison and McKinley Ingo, Novalee and Malakai Newbold, and Shersha McCoy; sister Colette Dreke; brother Christopher Merritt; uncle Kenneth Lafave and many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Sylvester A. Merritt Jr., her uncles and grandparents.

Flowers may be sent to Discover Life Church. Please send cards to 1025 Dorchester Road, NW, Palm Bay, FL 32907.

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