Merry Foxworth,81, of Knoxville, Tn and previously Boston, MA, and Houston, TX has passed away at her home on February 6,2026.
Merry was born in Atlanta, GA, December 13,1944, the beloved daughter of the late Cecil (Charleston, SC) and Virginia Kempf (Castroville, TX). She had two late brothers. Thomas and Robert Foxworth and two nieces Vicky and Lisa Foxworth. She attended grammar school in Summit, NJ and graduated from Oberlin College in 1963 with a bachelor’s in music-majoring in Organ Performance. Afterwards, she traveled to Graz, Austria for medical school where she spoke fluent German. She was employed as distinguished organist, German translator, technical writer, and a loving mother. She was a member of the American Guild of Organists, playing in churches all over Massachusetts and East Tennessee and Texas. She enjoyed swimming, reading, baths, classical music, meeting new people, deep discussions, leading music at church, and had a big, beautiful smile.
Merry is survived by her children Ester Katherine Schifano and her husband Christopher of Sydney, Australia, Stephanie Jayne Walther of Knoxville, TN, and Christina (Chrissy) Rosalind Nelson and her husband John of Pembroke, MA. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren: Michael Ryan Levreault (30), Amelia Anne Nelson (16), John Paul Nelson Jr. (14), Samuel Grant Nelson (11), Sophia Francesca Schifano (11), Gabe Donald Beau Nelson (9), Sarah Rosalind Ester Nelson (7), and Jessicia Rose Schifano (6), and one great granddaughter Bonnie Dawn Levreault (8).
Her family will receive relatives and friends at St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 North Broadway, Knoxville, Tn, on Sunday, February 15th from 2-3 pm. Merry was loved and will be greatly missed.