It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Merrilee Ann (Crooks) Dahman, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, who passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026, at the age of 82.
Born on January 28, 1944, in Waterloo, Indiana, to the late Robert and Irene (Whittig) Crooks, Merrilee lived a full life. She cherished traveling with her husband, John, and loved spending the winters in Naples, Florida. She enjoyed family gatherings with her children and grandchildren. A dedicated community member, she was a long-time member of the V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary and proudly served as the V.F.W. Auxiliary Department of Indiana President from 1997-1998.
Merrilee is survived by her sister, Bonny (Crooks) Turner; her children, Jeff (Ixchel) Watson, John (Alicia) Watson, Lisa Watson, Lizabeth (Rob) Halsey, Kathryn Clark, Michelle (Steve) Ball, and Tara Dahman; her grandsons, Jordan Shafer, Alex (Kat) Halsey, Riley Bilby, Alex Landry, Brendan Watson, Joshua (Caitlin) Eihinger, Joseph Dahman-Ball, and James (Nicole) Ball; and her great-granddaughters, Ezra and Aurora Ball.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Dahman; her parents, Robert and Irene Crooks; her sister, Florence (Crooks) Diedrich; and her brother, James Crooks.
A funeral service will be held at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes - Covington Knolls, 8325 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804, on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 1:00 pm, with visitation prior to the service from 12:00 pm 1:00 pm.
Preferred memorial donations may be made to Humane Fort Wayne.
