Fredrick L. "Ric" Merchant

Fredrick L. “Ric” Merchant, 77, Indianapolis, passed away on January 16, 2026.  Ric was born on December 20, 1948, in Scottsburg, Indiana, to the late William Merchant and Olivia “Libby” Riley.

Ric proudly served in the United States Army and was a member of the American Legion Post 355.  Ric worked for more than 30 years for Emerson Electronics as an engineer, retiring in the early 2000s.  He was an avid Indianapolis Colts fan and Indiana Hoosiers fan.  When his health allowed him, he stayed quite active with snow skiing, scuba diving, golf, photography, and modeling.  He was a MOPAR enthusiast and took great pride in his Dodge Charger, which kept him busy competing in various car shows.  Ric’s buckeyes were looked forward to every year and will be sorely missed by his family.  Above all, he was strongly devoted to his family.  Ric loved his wife, daughters, and grandchildren immensely.  He will be remembered for his desire to achieve perfection and the pride and love he had for his family.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his stepfather, Kenneth Riley; siblings, Michael Riley, George Riley, and Larry Merchant.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Merchant; daughters, Theresa (Greg Pierce) Merchant and Stefani (Aaron Berg) Merchant; siblings, Vera (Larry) Watkins, Randy Riley, and Kayla Gelsomino; grandchildren, Allie, Taran, Taylor, Tristan, McKenzie, and Ethan; great-grandchildren, Aiden, Addison, and Knox.

Ric’s Life Celebration® Visitation and Funeral Service will be held at the Carlisle – Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, 39 E. High St., Mooresville.  Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, January 21, 2026.  The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m.  Cremation will take place at the Morgan County Crematory, Mooresville.  Visit www.CarlisleBranson.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.