Desiree Lessard with her dogs Sephira and Kenai. Family photo
Desiree Lessard went out for a drive Thursday night to clear her head.
She took a scenic loop around Douglas Mountain in Baldwin that she liked to drive while blaring rock music by bands like Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith and Def Leppard.
But she didn’t make it home.
Her 2004 GMC Yukon veered off a section of Marston Road that isn’t plowed or maintained during the winter, went down an embankment and was found on its roof in about 12 to 18 inches of water, according to a news release by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
It appears Lessard escapes the partially submerged vehicle by crawling through a rear window and pulling herself onto a snow-covered embankment, but she died there. She was 42.
The sheriff’s office said travel conditions were difficult, but speed didn’t appear to be a factor and the accident is still under investigation.
Her husband, Thomas Lessard, broke down Monday while talking about his wife and said he regrets the little fight they had the night she left. He said he always gave her space when she was upset.
“She kind of blew up and said I can’t do anything right,” her husband recalled. “I tried calming her down and told her she was over emotional. That was the wrong thing to say.
“I keep questioning myself. I’m such an emotional wreck. Everyone keeps saying that it’s not my fault, but I can’t fully believe it. I feel like I should have gone out that night looking for her or begged her to stop. She has done this loop dozens of times and she always came home.”
Lessard was remembered this week as a loving, selfless and adventurous woman.
“The first word that comes to mind with Desiree was fierce,” her husband said. “She was a fierce person in every aspect. When it came to fighting or arguing, she was very prideful and stood her ground no matter what. When it came to love and passion, she was even more fierce. She was 100 percent emotion.”
The couple were married almost 11 years and lived in Standish. They had three children from previous relationships and were raising their own daughter, Aurora Lessard, 11.
Her husband shared the story of how they met more than 15 years ago. He was working at First Stop Convenience in Scarborough and she walked in.
“It’s a story she loved to tell,” he said. “I sold her a gallon of milk one night. She described it as ‘getting hit by lightning.’ Desiree said she looked into my eyes and knew. So, she got a job there. We started working together and things just worked out from there.”
Thomas Lessard said they worked together for several years and had a long courtship.
He said she was a selfless person and devoted to family. They had their ups and downs, but loved each other deeply, he said.
“She was so passionate and fiery,” he said. “We have lots of opposites, but we complemented each other. We struggled financially. We both have that strong understanding of love and family, so money was always a second worry for us.
“Even with no money, she made so many miracles happen for our family,” he continued. “She always did special things for the kids. She threw a party for every single holiday. She was always inviting the neighborhood kids over. One night we had 20 kids camped out in our yard. It was all her. I did anything she asked of me and supported her 100 percent. It was always her imagination and hard work that made these miracles happen.”
For the past few years, Lessard worked at Valero gas station in Standish and loved it, her husband said.
“She fell in love with the crew,” he said. “Her best friends work there now. She would come home bragging that she was a therapist for so many of the customers that came in.”
Lessard was known for random acts of kindness, including organizing a bottle drive for charity, picking up litter in a park, and handing out flowers to strangers. Her husband said she made him a better man.
“She formed this thing with our kids, RAK (random acts of kindness) Bandits,” her husband said. “She would have the kids running around, handing out cards to people that say, ‘You are beautiful,’ and ‘You matter.’ ”
Lessard’s death has hit the community hard. A Facebook group was created for loved ones to share memories and photos of her.
A family friend, Maura Wadsworth, shared photos of her three kids, Lessard’s kids and some friends hiking, roasting hot dogs, camping, swimming, ice skating and fishing.
“Desiree always treated my kids (and any other kid in the neighborhood that ended up over her house) like her own,” Wadsworth wrote. “She always had some sort of adventure planned for them and they loved every minute of it! … I am so grateful she made these childhood memories for these cousins and neighborhood friends. They will for sure cherish them forever.”
Rebecca Jackson, a friend for 30 years, said her heart is broken.
“I am in utter shock,” Jackson wrote on Facebook. “Anyone who knows her knows she was the most loving, giving, kind person in the entire world. She was a wonderful friend, wife, and mom to all her beautiful children. I can’t imagine the heartache of all her children and family. I just can’t. This seems impossible …”
A Meal Train campaign created for the Lessard family had raised $1,250 by Monday evening. To make a donation, go to mealtrain.com/trains/626dqy.
“She was such an amazing person,” wrote Charchelle Lestage, a friend who created the meal train. “She was always giving to others in need. She was truly an angel here on earth and is sorely missed by so many.”
A GoFundMe campaign was also created to raise money for Lessard’s funeral expenses and family. The fund exceeded its goal, raising $20,615 with support from 224 donors. To make a donation, go to gofundme.com/f/funeral-expenses-for-desiree-poirier-lessard.
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