Rosemary Eva LeBailly, 73, of Naples, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Friday, December 27, 2019. Born in Greenport, NY, she had been a Naples resident since 1972. She was born March 11, 1946, the daughter of Donald Alexander and Hilda May (née Tuthill) McNeill and was raised in Orient, NY, on the eastern tip of Long Island.
She received New York RN licensure in 1968 following graduation from Methodist Hospital of Brooklyn School of Nursing and subsequently received her BSN. Following positions in geriatric medicine and intensive care, she discovered her passion for emergency room medicine. Rosemary was a certified emergency nurse, a nurse administrator, and was the Director of Emergency Services for the NCH Healthcare System for thirty years. This included ambulatory clinics in the system. She was responsible for the opening of clinics in Golden Gate and Marco Island. Rosemary received many awards during her career, including the Tender Loving Care award. She was an educator, a motivator, and a resource. She was fair, kind and approachable. Patient care was her priority and she remained a hands-on caregiver for over four decades despite administrative titles. She retired from nursing in 2010.
Rosemary is survived by her loving children, Nicole (Daniel) Thompson of Naples, FL and Jonathan LeBailly of Bonita Springs, FL; her sisters, Donna Terry of Uncasville, CT and Kathy (Patrick) Caffery of Orient, NY; six cherished grandchildren, Taylor (Brandon) Walls-Gomez, Shelby Walls, Seth Thompson, Drew Thompson, Haiden Thompson and Riley LeBailly; two treasured great grandchildren, Mya Gomez and Juliet Gomez, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Kent John LeBailly in 2017.
There will be a celebration of her life on Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at Fuller Funeral Home, 1625 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. Visitation for family and friends will begin at 1:00 p.m. with a service to follow at 2:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Florida SouthWestern State College Foundation. Donations may be made on line at foundation.fsw.edu. Under specifications please indicate School of Health Professions, ADN Nursing Program, Collier County Campus.