Ethel Joanne Demerse

A longtime resident of Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona, Ethel was known for her compassionate heart, deep faith, sense of humor, and unwavering kindness. She always had time for others and loved being around people.

Born in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, Ethel dedicated her life to caring for others. She became a registered nurse after graduating from Lancaster Nursing School. She worked in Pediatrics initially, and then worked in nursing homes for the rest of her career. People always commented on how amazing she was with patients and everyone loved her genuine caring attitude and smile. Her devotion to service extended beyond her professional life as she was actively involved in Stephen Ministries at Victory Lutheran and several bible study groups.

Ethel married Irwin DeMerse in 2005, sharing a love rooted in companionship and devotion that enriched both of their lives.

Ethel was an accomplished painter and enjoyed painting classes and participated in art shows at Leisure World. She loved dancing, playing cards, warm weather, playing word games, doing crossword puzzles, and chatting with friends.

As a mother, Ethel was super serene. Her kids remember that she rarely got angry and was almost never critical. She only got mildly exasperated when her kids would have her paged at the nursing home where she was working, only to ask if they could have a popsicle or some other request that could have waited until she got home from work.

Ethel’s presence will live on through the family she loved; her son Bryan Colton and his children, Aubrey and Adam; her daughter Bernadette Fleming (Gustavo Lopez) along with their children, Marcos, Diego, Gustavo, and Raphael Lopez Fleming; Catherine Fleming and her son Dakota Fleming, and daughter Lourdes Nixon and her son, Cameron Nixon. She was preceded in death by her daughter Jill Unsoeld.

One of Ethel’s final wishes was to spend her last days surrounded by her children. As she hoped for, Ethel was able to spend time with all of her children before she peacefully passed on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. She passed away while listening to her daughter recite her favorite verses from the Bible.

Her final wish was to have her memorial service at Victory Lutheran where she attended weekly services and was very active in the church community.

Her memorial service will be held at Victory Lutheran Church in Mesa, Arizona on Friday, May 23rd at 3pm.