After a successful career revitalizing urban neighborhoods, Jack Whitehurst found peace in a
small urban neighborhood on the corner of Cleveland and St. Anthony Avenues in St. Paul.
Exhausted from four hospitalizations and difficult chemotherapy treatments for blood cancer
and lung disease, Jack wanted to focus on quality of life. The doctors at the University of
Minnesota referred him to Our Lady of Peace Hospice Residence (OLP). Jack’s wife, Stacy
Sorenson says, “They told us it’s the best there is.”
“They were right,” Stacy adds. “Jack got the medication he needed to lessen his pain and
decrease his anxiety. The day we came to Our Lady of Peace was our best day in weeks.” After
several months of caring for Jack with Stacy in their home, his brother Jim said, “It was a gift
from the universe.”
In the final weeks of Jack’s life, OLP caregivers, led by a mission to provide quality of life, told
him, “You’re in charge here.” Stacy says, “We FaceTimed with family from out of state, had
visitors every day and night, and at one point, we had chairs all over the room. We played
music, told jokes, and talked about how we loved and valued Jack.”
“There were a lot of kind and caring nurses, nursing assistants, and volunteers who shared
stories with Jack while Jim and I took a break,” Stacy recalls. “Front desk staff were always
welcoming, and even the custodial staff had kind comments for us. “Debbie Swanson came by
and gave me hugs, and a chaplain also visited and said they were available if Jack wanted to
talk. Jack appreciated that they didn’t assume that he was religious. They just wanted to
provide support if he needed it. The people at OLP walk their talk.”
Jack died on August 24, 2023. He was 68, and he and Stacy had been married just shy of
20 years. Grateful for Jack’s care at no cost, his family and friends raised $11,000 for OLP and
purchased a brick with Jack’s name on it, placed within the OLP Memorial Garden. Stacy
explains, “Jack spent his life working in urban neighborhoods, and OLP is in an urban
neighborhood. It was close to our home, and when Jim and I walked in, we knew it was perfect
for Jack, and it was.”