Merlin Leslie Stewart, longtime Manteca resident, died peacefully at home on February 6, 2018, at the age of 67.
   He is survived by his children Tiffany and Tony Thompson, Amber and Steve Brown, Mark Stewart and Chelsea Ellis, and Brandon Olson, and his grandchildren Kismet, Parker, Delanee, Teagun, Cohen, Kian and Sienna.
   He is preceded in death by his parents Donald and Bette Stewart, and his brother, Marvin Stewart.
   Merlin enjoyed spending time with his grandkids and shopping at the Hope Chest. He was a proud Army veteran, and a fierce, passionate friend, dad and papa. His passing will be felt acutely for years to come.
   Merlin will be laid to rest and memorialized privately. Friends are invited to share their thoughts and memories at http://never-gone.com/memorials/merlinstewart. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made to NAMI (http://www.nami.org).

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Friday, February 16, 2018