Laurie Ann Sexton

A memorial Mass will be in the Chapel at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Deerfield Beach, FL on October 1, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. with Rev. Bryan Dalton officiating. A funeral Mass and burial will be held on October 24, 2015 at St. Columba Church in Ottawa, Illinois at 10:00 a.m.

Mrs. Sexton was born August 8, 1927 in Ottawa, IL to Walter K. Scherer and Margaret Lucey Scherer. She married Francis Edward Sexton on September 9, 1950 in St. Columba Church. They recently celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends in Florida.

Mrs. Sexton attended St. Columba School and Ottawa High School in Ottawa, IL. She graduated from Trinity College in Washington D.C. She dedicated her life to her children. She volunteered in their schools, sports, and extra-curricular activities. She truly understood the importance of giving back to the community by generously contributing her time and energy. She passed on this love of giving and sharing to her six children.

She taught Red Cross Water Safety swimming and life saving classes for over 15 years. She was a charter member of the Pink Ladies Hospital Auxiliary and instrumental in initiating a Candy Striper hospital volunteer program for high school-aged girls. She was a Blue Bird and Camp Fire Girl leader. She was a member of the Ottawa Community Hospital Board of Governors and served on the Public Health Nursing Board. She volunteered at the Easter Seal Center and coordinated the volunteers for the Blood Mobile in Ottawa. She was a volunteer Spanish teacher at St. Columba School, a member of Child Welfare Guild, and Delta Theta Tau Sorority. She enjoyed traveling extensively, knitting, playing cards and, most of all, family time. She could throw a party that would be talked about for months after the fact. She loved to entertain family, friends, business associates, and anyone needing a meal. No one left her home hungry. She loved to dress up and always looked her best with her nails painted, her hair styled and her clothes crisply pressed. She modeled clothing in her spare time.

She was an active member of St. Ambrose Church in Deerfield Beach, FL where she served as a Eucharist Minister before her health began to fail.

She is survived by her husband, Francis Sexton; brothers, F. Michael Scherer of Cambridge, MA, and Walter King Scherer, Jr. of Stuart, FL and Lucy Nickerson, of Boynton Beach, FL. She is also survived by her children: Margo (Neil) Richardson of Urbana, IL; Kay (Gene) Wandling of Iowa City, IA; Michael (Jean) Sexton of Wellington, FL; Larry (Susan) Sexton of Marietta, GA; Ann McQuiston of Lake Worth, FL; and Beth (Mark) Richardson of Lake Worth, FL. She has twelve grandchildren and five great grandchildren surviving her.

Her parents, a grandson, Brent Q. Richardson, and a son-in-law, Kon McQuiston, preceded Laurie Ann Sexton in death.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to:

• Hospice by the Sea Foundation, www.hpbcf.org

• Alzheimer’s Association, http://m.alz.org/donate.asp

• Lighthouse for the Blind, Broward County