Mauriece St.John

Mauriece (Maury) Annette DeWald St. John – August 16, 1940 – August 7, 2020

Maury passed away peacefully after battling a chronic disease. Maury was born in Waxahachie, TX to Reverend Ernest and Ophelia DeWald and followed by a sister, Ernestine, 13 years later. As a minister’s daughter, Maury had many hometowns during her early years. In 1967, Maury met Don St. John at a skating rink and was immediately attracted to Don because of his Army uniform, his convertible, and because he would play his guitar and would sing songs with her boys (Tim, Ashley, and Jay). Maury and Don were married on July 1, 1967 and had 53 adventurous years together. During her life, Maury was a number of things: wife, mother, secretary, bookkeeper, and after a college degree in her 30’s, was an operating room nurse and then an oncology nurse. She loved people and helped many through those pursuits and many in Ruidoso remember Maury for the comfort she gave her patients. One former patient related that going for a treatment, was actually like going to Maury’s kitchen to visit. Maury went on to become a Lincoln County Commissioner and became a skilled and sought-after stained-glass artist. Maury sang in the choir at Community Methodist Church in Ruidoso and be-came head of many church-based initiatives, including the Senior Food Box program, Coffee Time senior adult program, and put together over 25 devotional books during her church service. Maury loved animals, and never met a stray dog that she didn’t love and work to find a home for.

Maury is survived by her husband of 53 years, Don St. John and her four dogs, Gizmo, Rusty, Rascal, and Buddy. She leaves a sister and brother-in-law, Ernestine and Michael Zchiesche of Copperas Cove, Texas. She has sons and daughters-in-law across the country with Tim and Faith Lightfoot in Bryan, Texas, Ashley and Melanie Lightfoot in Beaver, Utah, and Jay and Sue Lightfoot in Reedville, Virginia. Maury also has two grandchildren from Ashley and Melanie, Chelsea Lightfoot of San Jose, California and Carson Lightfoot of Denver, Colorado.

A public memorial will be held at a later date and the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Lincoln County Humane Society.