Merlene is the wife of the late Joseph J. Franchini, daughter of the late Allen J. Gelpi, Sr. and Eva P. Lambert, sister of Clayton Gelpi (Anniereen) and Allen J. Gelpi, Jr. (Mary), niece of the late Vincent P. and Sophie Borrello, the late Hilda Robinson, and the late Nola Karcher.
Special thanks to her sitters, Brenda, Dee, and Heather, along with Wynhoven and Passages Hospice.
Relatives and friends are invited to the services on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124. The visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. until the funeral mass at 11:00 a.m. The interment will follow in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.
