Mary Ellen Domask

A Healer and Helper, the Rock of Our Family

Mary Ellen Domask, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and active community member, passed away on March 3, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love, kindness, and strength. She was born on December 7, 1941, to Evelyn and John Harold (Ike) Harbridge in Fond du Lac, WI. She was married to her dear husband of 60 years, Jerry Domask, and together they built a life, including three children and five grandchildren, centered around their shared values of faith, family, community.

Mary served as the rock of our family, a role model, confidante, and cheerleader for her grown children, Joe (wife Asanga), Jim (partner Christina) and Lisa (husband Hugh). Her profound impact extends to her grandchildren, Rosalie (husband Adam), Andy, Evelyn, Ella and Alexander and to her dear nieces and nephews. Mary is survived by her younger brother Jim Harbridge and sister-in-law Nora Earnhardt, and she now joins her recently deceased brother, John Harbridge, in heaven. Mary’s love and wisdom will forever be woven into all our lives.

Mary graduated from St. Mary's Nursing School in Fond du Lac, WI, fell in love with her loving husband Jerry and began their exciting life journey together for three years in Frankfurt, Germany. She provided direct nursing care across many specialties and hospitals and earned her BSN and MSN in Nursing, all the while also raising an active family and living in eighteen homes across thirteen states, and enduring two, one-year hardship tours of her husband in Vietnam and S. Korea as a twenty-year military family. Mary went on to be a beloved hospital executive who listened to, inspired and gained the respect and admiration of individuals at all levels of the organization. She kept her nursing license active throughout her life. Her two eldest granddaughters, Rosalie and Evelyn have followed in her footsteps as nurses.

Mary had a passion for dance, continuous learning, cooking, reading, traveling the world with her husband Jerry, spending precious time with family, living a healthy lifestyle and volunteering. She loved dancing and teaching ballet and tap dancing during her grade school and high school years. In retirement, she formed cherished relationships among various friend and community groups related to her volunteer activities and hobbies including golf, yoga, the Red Hat Society, the Garden Club, kayaking, boating, and card games like poker, Canasta, and Mahjong.

Mary actively contributed to the community through her involvement with St. Vincent de Paul Society, serving as an Ombudsman for the elderly, and most recently, as a Eucharistic minister to the home/nursing home-bound and serving in St. John the Baptist Church’s Emergency Assistance Ministry.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests donations to the St. John the Baptist Emergency Assistance Ministry (EAM), an organization that Mary was deeply passionate about and actively involved in. Contributions can be made online through the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Atlantic Beach, FL website (saintjohnsatlanticbeach.org) or by sending a check to St John the Baptist Catholic Church at 2400 Mayport Road, Jacksonville, FL 32233.

A Catholic Mass and Celebration of Life luncheon, immediately following, will be held in Mary’s honor on Friday, May 3rd, at 10:00 am, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, located at 2400 Mayport Road, Jacksonville, FL. Following Mass, Mary’s ashes will interred at the National Cemetery, Jacksonville, FL.