Elmo Meroney

Elmo Blair Meroney, Jr. passed quietly into the arms of Jesus on October 3, 2025 at the age of 94. He was a man of integrity, genuine faith and a unique ‘Elmo’ humor that impacted all who
knew him.

His Visitation (10:00 am) and Celebration of Life service (10:30 am) will be held on Friday, October 17 at Tallowood Baptist Church, 555 Tallowood Dr, Houston, TX. The service will be livestreamed using this link: www.tallowood.org/watch (The family has decided on a private family graveside service.)

Elmo was born on September 1,1931 in Houston, Texas to Elmo Blair Meroney, Sr. and Abbie Dell Drouet Meroney. Raised among one of the original Houston families, Elmo loved spending every summer at his grandfather’s cattle ranch where Hobby airport now exists. He graduated from Lamar High School in 1949. After earning his Business degree from Baylor University in 1953, he honorably served in the United States Air Force as a First Lieutenant manning radar sites in Germany.

Returning to Houston in 1956, Elmo sold lumber at his father’s lumber business until Elmo, Sr. suddenly died two years later at age 52. Determining the lumber business was not the career for him, he moved his family to Topeka, Kansas and began a career in Parks and Recreation, later getting his Master’s degree in that field at the University of Illinois. After 12 years in 3 midwestern states, he moved his family back to Houston to be near his aging relatives and Baylor University. Returning to Sales and Marketing allowed him to do what he loved most - making others laugh and sharing the good news of Jesus with them while supporting his family. A member of Tallowood Baptist Church since 1974, Elmo served faithfully as a Sunday school teacher and a Deacon for nearly 50 years. He traveled abroad on many mission trips and led the Tallowood prison ministry until 2024, for 3 decades. Another bonus of Tallowood in 2006 was finding his wife Hedy whom he called “God’s blessing.”

Volunteering weekly at a local elementary school, Elmo was named “Volunteer of the Year” on more than one occasion. The students loved to read to “Mr. Elmo” dressed in his Tickle Me Elmo t-shirt.

His hobbies included playing doubles tennis until he was 87, making trips to Waco for football season and vacationing in Galveston.

He leaves behind a legacy of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love Jesus. In addition, Elmo led many into a relationship with the Lord who we will not know until we join him in Heaven someday. His legacy was not one of grand gestures, but one of every day faithfulness, unconditional love and a servant’s heart. He was a man of few words but the life he lived spoke volumes.

Elmo is survived by his adoring wife of 20 years, Hedy Gilmore Meroney and his 3 children- Diane Clare Meroney Staats (Gary), James Edwin Meroney (Morag), and Kathy Lynn Meroney. He was also the loving grandfather of Nelson Blair Staats (Lauren), Mallory Mayne (Robby), Austin Staats (Amy), Sarah Brooks (Brandon), Hunter Meroney, Brooke Meroney and Conner Meroney. He was the cherished great-grandfather of Noah, Ruthie and Nate Staats, Addy, Sam and Ava Staats, Layton, Miller and Maddox Mayne and Emery, Baker and Beckham Blair Brooks. He is also survived by Hedy Gilmore Meroney's sons, Matt Gilmore, Tim Gilmore and John Paul Gilmore (Jacqui) along with her 3 grandsons Sebastian Boring (Malia), Colton and Chance Gilmore.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his first wife of 50 years, Katherine Joan Nelson.

Donations in honor of Elmo can be made to Tallowood Baptist Church Missions Ministry or to Prison Fellowship Ministry.