Merla was born to parents Grant & Dorothy Edgel on April 14th, 1950 in Portland, Oregon.

As a kid, she enjoyed playing the accordion & piano. She attended Madison High School where she met her lifelong friend Holli. Merla would later go on to meet Robert Gallucci at Meier & Frank, where they had both worked at the time. They would soon marry and go on to start a family together, raising their daughter April and sons Ryan, Adam, and Eric.

Along with raising a family, Merla helped Robert with running his record shop, Yesterday Records. She continued playing the piano into adulthood and enjoyed hobbies like wood carving, sewing, and crocheting.

After retirement, Merla and Robert enjoyed many vacations to Disneyland, Reno for Italian Festival, Yellowstone National Park, Coeur d’Alene, and the Oregon coast. They were able to go on a mediterranean cruise where they visited countries like Spain, Monaco, and Italy along the way.

Merla enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and frequently hosted gatherings with family for the holidays. In 2022, she moved to Collinsville, Oklahoma to be closer to her 6 grandchildren that had moved the year prior.

She is survived by daughter April (son in law Micah), sons Adam and Eric (daughter in law Amanda), grandchildren Silas, Jordan, Breonna, Brody, Leah, Sophia, and Emma.