Marilyn Grace Leistner

May 25, 1948 - November 27, 2020

Marilyn Grace Leistner was born in Birmingham, AL, May 25, 1948, and lived most of her life in Florida until she joined her parents, Lowell J Leistner and Ruth Roberts (Leistner) in heaven on November 27, 2020.  With her parents, her sister Kerry Leistner (Fradley), and her brother Lowell J Leistner, Jr (Jay), she lived as a child in Alabama, Missouri, Arizona and Florida.  In High School she attended Hampden DuBose Academy, a Christian boarding school, in Zellwood Florida.    She was involved in singing all her life.  As a child she joined her family in singing with her father who was a traveling evangelist. Marilyn loved participating in community choirs: Stetson University Choral Union, Northern Virginia Chorale, Inspirare, a women’s chorus, and the hospital outreach choirs.  She was usually in the audience to support her sister and niece as they directed their many choirs.  She attended Kings College in Westchester, NY, and graduated from Columbia University School of Nursing in NYC.  She then moved to New Orleans and worked at Ochsner Clinic as an ICU nurse while she did graduate studies in Nursing Education at LSU.  In 1981 She moved back to Florida, New Smyrna and DeLand, to be with her parents.  Until her retirement she worked in the Advent Health hospitals as an ER nurse, ICU nurse, and then as an in-house nurse educator.  She was known for her outstanding training of new nurses in skills and compassion.     She was always eager to travel with her sister, the Northern Virginia Chorale, the North Florida Women’s Chorale, her dear friends Sue and Christina Fowler and Rose Martin. and a special group of high school friends. Birding was another life-long interest especially in Florida marsh areas.    Marilyn had a beautiful spirit, she was accepting of everyone, generous, a friend to all, and easy to be with.  Marilyn loved her family and was always a big part of family celebrations with brother Jay and his wife Colette Guidry Leistner (deceased), sister, Kerry and husband Dale R Fradley, plus her nieces Laurel Fradley Dean (Dennis), Melinda Fradley, and Carmen Fradley Johnson (Michael).  Her connection continued as GAM, Great Aunt Maril, to her great nieces and nephews: Tyler Dean (wife Brooke and Rivers, son), Jazmine Dean, Courtney Doram White (Joshua and Asher, son), Hagen and Dale O’Neill, Silas Fradley, Shaiden, Caiman, Daja, Tesla, and Sol Johnson.    She will be interred with her parents at Sea Pines Cemetery in Edgewater FL on December 19 after a private grave-side memorial service.  In lieu of flowers we request donations to North Florida Women’s Chorale at PO Box 50135, Jacksonville, Beach, FL, 32240.