Thersa "Terry" Adrianse Mercer passed away on Dec. 24, 2025, after a courageous fight with cancer.
She leaves behind a loving family who will continue her legacy: her husband of more than 50 years, Steve Mercer; her daughter, Marie Travis (Jon); her son, Ben Mercer; and her cherished grandsons, Zack and Gabe Travis. She is also survived by her brothers, Ronald Adrianse Jr. (Polly) and Fred Adrianse; her sister, Kim Brown (Dan); and many beloved nieces and nephews.
As many knew, Terry loved spending time with her family and treasured every moment together. Many Sunday afternoons were spent enjoying a meal and playing cards with parents and kids. In the summertime, if she wasn’t in the pool, she and Steve were off getting into "trouble" with the boys.
Terry enjoyed helping out in the community, whether it was at church or the senior center. She always strived to make everyone feel special. She was a devoted member of First Methodist Church in Hamlet and deeply loved her church family. She greatly enjoyed staying active at the Hamlet Senior Center, where she lead exercise and line dancing classes. She was a founding member of the Delusional Divas and was always on the hunt for their next show stopping routine. Each year, she volunteered her time organizing and participating in the Richmond County Senior Games.
Terry dedicated her professional life to education, enjoying a long and meaningful career teaching math with Richmond County Schools, spending most of her years at Richmond Senior High School. She had a true passion for helping students succeed and was often one of the first to arrive at school to make herself available for tutoring and extra support. Her commitment to her students and her love of teaching left a lasting impact on many lives.
A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Visitation will be from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. with a service at 1 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Hamlet with the Rev. Dan Blair officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to First United Methodist Church, 300 Charlotte St., Hamlet, NC 28345; or Richmond County Hospice, 1119 U.S. Hwy. 1 N., Rockingham, NC 28379.
Online condolences may be made at watson-kingfuneralhome.com. Watson-King Funeral Home in Hamlet is serving the Mercer family.
