Fernandes, Suzanne M. (Morel) of Lexington, MA, passed away Saturday evening, January 21st, at the age of 62, nearly three years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A profoundly compassionate and kind person, Suzanne dedicated her life to selflessly caring for others as a mother, daughter, sister, nurse, and friend.

The oldest of four children, Suzanne was born in Arlington, MA to Joanne and the late Robert Morel. After graduating from the Catholic Medical Center School of Nursing, Suzanne embarked on a thirty-plus year career as a nurse which first took her to California and then back to Boston where she initially worked as an inpatient staff nurse at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and then at Brigham and Women’s Hospital starting in 1987.

Throughout her many years as an intensive care nurse at the Brigham, Suzanne worked in the Medical and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, in their ICU float pool, served as a volunteer on numerous Operation Walk trips to the Dominican Republic, traveled to Haiti to assist in the emergency relief effort following the earthquake in 2010, and formed many long-lasting friendships. Amidst the bustle of working full time and raising four boys, Suzanne also made time to complete her BSN and received her Master’s in Nursing from Regis College in 2016, after which she transitioned to nursing administration and education at the Brigham and then at North Shore Medical Center, where she served as the nursing director of their Special Care Nursery.

Suzanne cherished spending time with family and friends; be it whiling away long summer days on the beach with her children and siblings in Humarock, or making time to catch up with friends from her childhood or her early years working in Boston. Suzanne particularly loved the company of her mother, Joanne, who could always be counted on to join her for a visit to a local museum, an evening at the Lexington Symphony Orchestra, or a quick winter getaway to a warmer locale.

Suzanne was the dedicated and adoring mother of four sons, Matthew, Michael, Joseph, Jake, and her step-daughter Lauren. In addition to her children, Suzanne will be deeply missed by her husband, Jay; her mother, Joanne; sisters Lori (Michael) and Linda; brother Bobby (Debbie); son-in-law, George; granddaughters, Eleanor and Georgie; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Suzanne’s memory to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. A wake will be held on Friday, January 27th from 4 -7 pm at DeVito Funeral Home, 1145 Mass. Ave., ARLINGTON. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, January 28th at 10 am at Saint Brigid Church, Lexington. Burial to follow in Westview Cemetery, Lexington. Please visit devitofuneralhome.com to view an online guestbook.