Michele Lynn Lisee

Passed away Christmas Eve 12/24/20 at St Joseph’s Hospital after a 2-month fight with Covid-19 and lung transplant complications. She was a native of Worcester Massachusetts and was residing in San Tan Valley Arizona. She graduated from Burncoat High School in Massachusetts.

Michele has had a long history of medical issues throughout her short life. The most serious of these was the diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension. Because of this she needed a continuous iv infusion and carried a pump around for several years. When it became necessary to start looking at a lung transplant, we discovered the best program was in Phoenix Arizona so we relocated here.

I would like to thank all the people who have taken care of Michele for us over the years they have been more than we could have asked for. On top of all the other things Michele was dealing with, when they did the transplant work up it was discovered that Michelle had a very high number of antibodies that would make finding a suitable doner difficult and would increase the chances for rejection issues. Despite this the team at St. Josephs eagerly took on the challenge and was able to get a doner in 3 months. The surgery was difficult and the recovery long but Michele made it through, she always said she would do anything to be able to raise her children. We were warned that after a lung transplant only about 30% of people survive to 5 years. Michele made it more than 7. This is a testament to her determination.

Throughout all of this Michele has always put others first. Starting in high school she began working as a nursing assistant with a dream of becoming a nurse. As she started to work towards her goal, she became an emergency medical technician with AMR until due to health issues she had to stop working on the ambulance. So, she did the next best thing and began working in the dispatch center until her health precluded that. After her transplant surgery, despite now being an immuno-compromised patient, she continued to try and finish nursing school. Until again her health made that impossible, she again found where she could still best help people. She tested for and was hired by the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office as an emergency operator. She loved that job and the people she worked with and was very proud of her accomplishments there. In fact, they had just approached her about becoming a trainer for them.

Michele was a very genuine, caring, and compassionate soul who will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She left an impression on this world that will have a lasting effect. Including the example to her children and others to NEVER GIVE UP. She faced all the adversity in her life with courage and determination and still managed to improve others lives. Some of her favorite things were bag pipes, the songs amazing grace and the dance. She also loved pink and purple flowers, I will think of her whenever I see or hear those things. We could not ask for a better example of how to live than we found in Michele.

She was predeceased by our daughter Gabrielle.

Survived by her parents Ed and Pam (Dodd) Lapensee, husband Chris, daughter Meaghan, son Corey, son Sheehan, daughter Jordan, step daughters Abi and Ashley, her sisters Heather and Kerry, grandmother Shirley, many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Also, her childhood friends Gina, Patty, Ellen, and LuAnn.

Honestly anyone who ever met Michele became a sort of family and was touched by her. She would give you the shirt off her back if she saw you needed it. This world was better with Michele in it and we will feel her absence always. We will all miss you. Your work here is done, rest easy now we will take it from here. Rest in peace until we meet again. Love your family.