Mary Elizabeth Deignan Lesperance

Mary Elizabeth Lesperance, 91 years old, of Arlington, VA passed away Friday, January 17. She was born in Tacoma, WA and was a Naval Nurse. As a Naval Nurse during the onset of the Korean War, Lieutenant Junior Grade Mary Deignan was ordered to a ship to sail to Korean waters. On August 27, 1950, Mary and 15 other Navy nurses were aboard the ship off the coast of San Francisco when the ship collided with another and began to sink. She grabbed a life vest & jumped into the ocean. For some time she was by herself until eventually being picked up by a tugboat. Mary then requested to be transferred to Tripler Army Hospital in Oahu, Hawaii where Ensign Albert “Frenchy” Lesperance was temporarily serving. They were married on February 3, 1951. On February 23, 1952, they had twin girls, Rita & Anne. They traveled the US with the Navy until Albert retired in 1978 and they eventually settled in Arlington, VA. Mary was very close to God and was a member of Saint Agnes Parish and the Legion of Mary in Arlington, VA. She is survived by her husband of almost 63 years, Albert, daughter Rita McCracken, and two granddaughters, Melissa Fedoroff and Erin McCracken. The Lesperance family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 22 at Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA. Funeral Mass will be held at Saint Agnes, 2002 N. Raldolph St., Arlington, VA on Thursday, January 23 at 10 a.m. Interment at Columbia Gardens Cemetery will follow. She will be greatly missed by all.