Mary Lee (Messinese) Weeks passed away peacefully on May 14, 2024, surrounded by family and friends in the Palm Valley home her husband built with love. She was born on August 8, 1961, to James and Sylvia (Oesterreicher) Messinese and grew up in Jacksonville Beach. She graduated from Beaches Chapel School in 1979. Mary Lee married her high school sweetheart and true love, John Weeks, in November of 1984, and they welcomed their only daughter, Mackenzie, in 1988. Together, Mary Lee and John opened the Seafood Shoppe in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1989, and enjoyed the challenges and successes of growing their business for 30 years. Mary Lee was a cherished wife, adoring mother and grandmother, and a beloved friend. She was known for her faith, strength, and resilience, shown through her passion for running marathons and her brave battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She treated all her friends as family, including the Mayo Nurses on 3 North who called her “the definition of a fighter.” Mary Lee is survived by her husband, John; her daughter, Mackenzie Terry, and her husband, Miles; her granddaughters, Makena and Madison; her brothers, Dr. Mark Messinese (Deborah), Jim Messinese (Kathy), and Christopher Messinese (Sharleen); and her dear sister, Jeanmarie Jackson (Eric). A celebration of life will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, at Beaches Museum, 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach. In the spirit of Mary Lee, the Weeks family invites you to dress casually and colorfully for this outdoor celebration. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating blood in Mary Lee’s honor or joining the blood stem cell donor registry at bethematch.org.
