Mary Jo Leonard Young

Capt. Mary Jo Leonard Young, 86, of Summerville, passed away on Saturday, June 18, 2022. The relatives and friends of Mary Jo Leonard Young are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 PM, Saturday, June 25,2022, at St. John The Beloved Catholic Church, Summerville. The Rite of Committal will follow in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. The family will receive friends from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM, Saturday afternoon, June 25, 2022, at Parks Funeral Home, 130 W. 1st North Street, Summerville, SC 29483. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, 28 Sumter Ave., Summerville, SC or Charleston Animal Society, 2455 Remount Rd., North Charleston, SC 29405.Mary Jo was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 3, 1936.She was the daughter of Joseph and Grace Leonard. Mary Jo graduated from St. Rose High School and St. Rita's School of Nursing in Lima, Ohio. In 1958, she joined the Navy Nurse Corps. While in the Navy, she received her BS degree in nursing from the University of Colorado and a Master's Degree in higher education from George Washington University. She retired from the Navy in 1984as the Director of Nursing at the Charleston Navy Hospital. Mary Jo was a member of the founding committee of the Palmetto Chapter of the Navy Nurse Corps Association (NNCA) and was the first president of the PCNNCA. She was chairman of the NNCA reunion 2000 in Charleston and a long-term chairman of the NNCA Nominating Committee. As a member of St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, she served in many ministries of the church. Mary Jo was involved in many community volunteer activities since her retirement including Middleton Place Foundation, Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston Symphony league, Friends of the Dock Street, Volunteer Service Unit of the Coastal Center, Spoleto & Piccolo Festival(usher), President Flowertown Seniors and long-time leader of TOPS SC51Summerville TOPS. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Lois Leonard (John); cousin, Marilyn DePalma, cousin, Shelley Johnson (Paul), and their daughters, Kelsey (Luke) and Hailey, who lovingly referred to her as Nana; her dog, Gracie, and many loving and wonderful friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Jack, Jerry and Mike Leonard. Arrangements by PARKS FUNERAL HOME, 130 W. 1stNorth Street, Summerville, SC 29483. www.parksfuneralhome.com.
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