Mary Genevieve (Moquin) Pesch, 95, of Rochester, Minn., passed away peacefully on July 28, 2026, at Charter House in Rochester. Mary was born on January 6, 1931, in Fond du Lac, Wis., to Walter Ezra and Nora Margaret (Haensgen) Moquin. Mary graduated fourth in her high school class of 100 at St. Mary Springs Academy in Fond du Lac in 1949 and completed an R.N. degree from St. Agnes School of Nursing in Fond du Lac in 1952.

On May 9, 1953, Mary married Joseph (Joe) Adam Pesch from Campbellsport, Wis., and they began their life together in Tooele, Utah where Joe served in the US Army, and Mary set up and directed the Obstetrical Unit at a new county hospital. They then lived in Iowa City, Iowa and Milwaukee, Wis., before settling in Rochester, where Joe worked as a physicist at IBM, and they reared their family of nine children. They moved to Charter House in 2016.

Mary’s children recently discovered that, at the age of 45, she wrote an autobiography. Upon reading, it reveals two themes that characterize her life: her desire to learn and her desire to serve others.

Mary’s greatest educational endeavor was her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Winona State University, which she undertook after her youngest child turned two. She reveled in Humanities courses like Music Appreciation and took pride in achieving top grades in Microbiology. Upon completion of her degree, she was employed at Rochester’s St. Mary’s Hospital, retiring in 1989. Of her nursing career, she stated that nursing taught her the value of having a system and a routine, which transferred over to rearing a large family and managing a household. Wanting to share her love of learning with others, Mary helped bring the Great Books Foundation to Rochester and the Junior Great Books programs to schools. For more than a decade, she taught the volunteers who directed these groups. She also participated enthusiastically in a Rochester-area book club from 1982 to 2019. In addition to academic and literary pursuits, Mary developed talent as a fiber artist, especially skilled in rug hooking, wool dyeing, quilting and knitting. Her creations included many intricate rugs and over 50 personalized knitted holiday stockings, that are lovingly displayed in the homes of her children. She sought to learn in nature by outdoor exercise and by visiting all of Minnesota’s state campgrounds, in the company of husband Joe.

Mary’s desire to serve others expanded beyond her nursing profession, when she volunteered with The Auxiliary of St. Mary’s Hospital and as Auxiliary President in 2006. In the Christian Family Movement (CFM) and Teams of Our Lady, Mary and husband Joe led discussion groups, personally housed and assisted needy people, and established life-long friendships with other couples doing these good works. The Pesches were parishioners of St. Pius X Catholic Church. Mary was further active with League of Women Voters and Toastmasters. After the adoption of daughter Maria, Mary joined the Interracial Families organization and the Open Door Society, fostering racial justice and social connections. She was appointed by then-Mayor Dewey Day in 1972 to serve on the Rochester Human Rights Commission and investigated complaints of violations. She volunteered with Olmsted Day Activity Center as an educator of disabled children and adults.

Throughout her life, Mary often paused to reflect on her goals and purpose in her learning endeavors and in serving others. Early in her nursing career as head nurse in the OB unit at the hospital in Utah, Mary trained student nurses on the many skills and techniques for working with pregnant women. Mary reflected later, “…but most important of all was the teaching of attitudes toward expectant mothers, new mothers, fathers, babies, relatives, etc. I strongly felt that all the technical skill in the world didn’t help if the nurse couldn’t convey to the patient that she cared about her.”

If Mary’s life were a book, many of its chapters would feature anecdotes about all she wished to learn from listening, speech-making, traveling, reading, and doing. Just as many of the chapters would show her serving her beloved family, needy individuals, her medical patients, and the charitable organizations where she dedicated her time and talent. We can be grateful for the example of Mary’s energetic and caring life.

Mary was preceded in death by her loving husband Joe, of 70 years; her parents; her brother Walter Joseph Moquin; sister Kathryn (Moquin) LaCroix; her brother John R. Moquin; her brother-in-law Randolph LaCroix; her son Dr. Daniel G. Pesch; and her son-in-law Robert P. LaHait. She is survived by her children, Michael (Constance Perry) Pesch of Minnetonka, Minn.; David (Valli) Pesch of Peoria, Ariz.; Elizabeth (Timothy) Mackey of St. Cloud, Minn.; Therese (Mark) Smith of Marion, Iowa; Thomas (Mary) Pesch of Sauk Rapids, Minn.; Andrew (Elizabeth) Pesch of St. Francis, Wis.; Maria Pesch of Chandler, Ariz.; and Amy La Hait (West Brookshire) of Sudbury, Mass.; by daughter in-law Kristi Pesch (Gene Glorvigen) of Elgin, Minn.; by 21 grandchildren, and by 25 great-grandchildren.

The Pesch family wishes to express their deep appreciation to the staff and caregivers at Charter House and Mayo Hospice for the excellent care Mary received in her final years.

A Celebration of Life for Mary will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Charter House Chapel in Rochester, Minn.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Dorothy Day Hospitality House or Channel One Regional Food Bank and Food Shelf in Rochester, Minn.

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com