Mary Margaret Lesperance

Mary was born on December 12, 1944, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Ernest and Elizabeth Coleman. She was the oldest of nine children, and from an early age, caring for others became an important part of who she was. She graduated from Cranford High School and went on to pursue the calling that would become her lifelong passion: nursing.

Mary earned her nursing degree from Middlesex County College and began her nursing career at Rahway Hospital in New Jersey. In 1982, Mary and her family moved to Tampa, Florida, where she helped establish Hospice of Hillsborough. Her compassion for patients and families, particularly during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, was evident throughout her career.

In 1987, Mary moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where she began her long and distinguished career at St. Luke’s Hospital, later Mayo Clinic Florida. Starting as a floor nurse, she worked her way into leadership, becoming Director of Patient Care. Throughout her career, Mary helped develop numerous training programs and mentored countless nurses and healthcare professionals. She had a gift for teaching and loved sharing her knowledge, experience, and love of nursing with others.

Mary never stopped learning. She continued her education throughout her career, ultimately earning a Post-Master’s Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of North Florida. She spent many years working in oncology before moving into family practice, where she continued to make a difference in the lives of her patients.

Her commitment to caring for others extended well beyond her professional career. Mary was a dedicated volunteer with Volunteers in Medicine and participated in numerous community outreach programs. She also made several medical trips to Haiti through Hope for Haiti, an experience that became one of her greatest passions. She found tremendous meaning in using her skills to serve people who were in need.

Mary was also a devoted Catholic and a longtime parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church. She was involved in numerous church groups and activities and found great joy in her faith and her church community. She remained an active member of the parish until the COVID-19 pandemic, when she moved into assisted living.

While nursing was certainly Mary's career and passion, her greatest joy in life was her family.

Mary married Richard Nelson Lesperance on November 26, 1966. Together, they shared 25 years of marriage until his passing in 1999. Mary and Rich loved playing tennis and traveling, including memorable trips to Europe and Hawaii. But more than anything, they treasured time spent with their family.

Mary and Rich created a home where family and friends always felt welcome. Their doors were open to everyone, and family gatherings were filled with love, laughter, siblings, nieces, nephews, and countless memories. Family meant everything to Mary, and that love continued throughout her life.

Mary is survived by her three children, Rich Lesperance (Sumerlin), Joe Lesperance (Regina), and Virginia Lesperance (Daniel); her beloved grandchildren, Helen, Grace, Andrew and Channing; and her eight siblings, along with numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, friends, colleagues, and former patients whose lives she touched.

Mary will be remembered for her extraordinary compassion, her dedication to nursing, her generosity to others, her deep faith, and her unwavering love for her family. She spent her life caring for others, whether at the bedside of a patient, in a classroom mentoring a nurse, on a medical mission in Haiti, in her church, or gathered around a table with the people she loved.

Her legacy lives on in the many people she cared for, taught, served, and loved. Most of all, it lives on in her children and grandchildren, who will carry her love, strength, compassion, and example with them always.

Mary's greatest gift was the way she made people feel cared for. She gave so much of herself to others, and she will be deeply missed and forever loved.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257, or give online at thefoundationcares.org/give