Beverley Bayes Merson, MD

Dr. Beverley Bayes Merson, a devoted pediatrician, wife, mother, and humanitarian, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2026, at Ashby Ponds Retirement Community after a long illness, surrounded by her loving family. She was 88.

Beverley Bayes was born on November 1, 1937—All Saints’ Day—in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, where her parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Frederick Bayes, were serving in a rural ministry. From an early age, her life was shaped by faith, education, and a strong sense of purpose.

She attended the University of Toronto, studying medicine and music, and went on to medical school graduating in 1961. She did her pediatric training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Scotland. She was Associate Resident in Chief in Toronto and went on to fellowships in hematology, gastroenterology and cystic fibrosis at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

In 1968, she married Edgar Merson and moved to the United States, where she built a distinguished career in pediatrics and a life centered on family and service.

Dr. Bayes was ahead of her time in many ways, advocating for child health and safety long before such measures became standard practice. She championed the use of car seats for young children years before they were widely adopted. She also strongly promoted placing infants on their backs to sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)—a practice that later became the national standard. Her early advocacy helped inspire research by Dr. Kattwinkel and colleagues at the University of Virginia, which confirmed the effectiveness of this approach.

While serving with the Fairfax County Health Department, she was an active leader in the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, chairing the School Health Committee. She was selected by the Fairfax County School Board to develop guidelines for a family life curriculum at a time when such topics were rarely addressed in the mid-1970’s. She also urged the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend meningococcal vaccination for incoming college students—guidance that would later help prevent the spread of this serious disease.

Throughout her career in private practice at the Northern Virginia Pediatrics Associates (NVPA) office in Falls Church, she was known as a voice of reason, science, and compassion, and she touched the lives of countless children and families.

Beyond her professional work, Beverley shared a long and loving marriage with her husband, Ed. Together, they built a life rich in travel, service, and community. She was deeply committed to humanitarian efforts through Immanuel Presbyterian Church in McLean, Virginia. As co-chair of the International Mission Committee, she traveled to Guatemala to teach basic hygiene and first aid in rural villages. For a decade, she and Ed mentored and tutored high school students in Washington, D.C., through the Dreamers program, encouraging them to pursue higher education or vocational paths. In later years, she helped resettle an Iranian family seeking asylum, offering both practical support and personal care.

She also found great joy in creativity and fellowship. She loved singing in the church choir, where she formed many close friendships, and she enjoyed pottery and painting as meaningful creative outlets.

Beverley is survived by her beloved husband, Edgar “Ed” Merson; their children, Jennifer Merson Herzberg (Allen) of McLean, Virginia; Andrew Merson (Marianne Werdel) of Solana Beach, California; and Keith Merson (Cindy) of McLean, Virginia; and their grandchildren, Grant Herzberg, Lauren Herzberg Husmann (Ethan), Avery Merson, Kate Merson, Reid Merson, Keira Merson, and Evan Merson. She is also survived by her brother, Graham Bayes of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

A memorial service will be held on June 20, 2026, at 11:00 am at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 1125 Savile Lane, McLean, Virginia. A private burial will take place at a later date in South Haven, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org