Lesa Michelle (Nye) Cain passed away peacefully on July 16, holding the hand of her loving daughter, Stevie. Lesa was born in 1954 in Topeka, Kansas, as the second of five children. She grew up in a military family, living in all parts of the world, from Morocco to New York. Her favorite location was Bangor, Maine, where she and her older sister Jackie picked potatoes one semester in Junior High. After her father retired from the Air Force, the family settled in Delaware, where Lesa would attend Christiana High School.
Lesa experienced many adventures after school, traveling with friends and even living in a commune for a while in New Jersey. It was during this time that she was set up on a blind date with a handsome Brooklynite named Frank Cain, who would become her husband three months later in the fall of 1972. He was the love of her life. The couple had one child, their daughter Stevie, in 1976.
In the early 1980s, Lesa, Frank, and Stevie left New Jersey to move closer to Lesa’s family in Wilmington, Delaware. During this time, Lesa enjoyed many life experiences, from being a waitress to a hairdresser to working in retail, until she found her true calling as a substance abuse counselor. She attended Del Tech, where she was on the Dean’s List, and graduated with a degree in Human Services.
Over the next twenty-five years, Lesa devoted her life to helping others, working tirelessly with addicts and their families in various forums. She enjoyed many years as a counselor at locations including Friendship House, The Delaware Prison System, and the Pace Addiction Treatment Center. Known as a “tough love” counselor, Lesa was fierce and passionate about her client’s recovery. She was revered for her popular group sessions and beloved by those she treated and their families. Lesa was also a private mentor and sponsor to individuals struggling with addiction.
Lesa was also a great lover of the arts. Her knowledge of music was legendary, as she and Frank saw everyone from Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and The Police in concert. Later in life, she even became a huge fan of K-Pop and the group BTS. She was equally invested in film and could discuss Kubrick and Kurosawa with the best of critics. Lesa was also a phenomenal writer, poet, and storyteller, often entertaining younger family members with memories from her life.
Lesa was a loving and devoted wife and mother. She is survived by her daughter, Stevie Cain, and her husband Aaron Augenblick. Additionally, she is survived by her brother Tim Nye and his wife Carla, her brother Joe Nye and his wife MaryLou, her brother Chris Nye, her seven nieces and nephews, and her nine grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her adoring husband Frank in 1999.
Friends are invited to a Memorial Service at McCrery & Harra Funeral Home, 3710 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, DE, 19808 on Thursday, August 1st at 1 pm, with visitation beginning at 12 pm.
