MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marissa Lima, a fund development director for the American Cancer Society, is this year’s Remarkable Woman from Memphis.

“She is a shining example of how one person can make a significant impact on the world,” said her husband Randy, who nominated her.

Marissa’s family and coworkers know her work with the American Cancer Society is deeply personal.

“I’ve lost six family members to cancer. My father is currently battling cancer and so it’s just something that I’m very passionate about,” Lima said.

That passion is now her purpose.

She is in charge of fundraising for the American Cancer Society, but her biggest challenge yet hasn’t come from recruiting donors. I came during last year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

“This year we had 5,000 people come out. It was our biggest crowd yet. Beautiful day. Electric energy,” she said.

But as the walk wrapped up, tragedy struck in the parking lot when a participant, 22-year-old Ellie Young, was shot and killed by an ex-boyfriend.

“I saw things that day that’ I’ll never be able to unsee,” Lima said. “The beautiful young woman who was taken looked just like my daughter, same age, who is also a graduate student.”

After the shooting, there were detectives and the media to contend with, and she still had to break down the event.

“It was like an out of body experience of course. Nobody ever expects to have to go through something like that,” she said.

Marissa managed the team’s way through tragedy, and the event still raised about $365,000.

That’s only one example of why this mother of three adult children is a Remarkable Woman. She’s spent her life serving her church, various organizations like Girl Scouts and Meals on Wheels, and she still has time for her other passion, writing.

“In 2023 I published the first installment of a young adult dystopian novel. Then in 2024 I didn’t the second installment. The idea is it will eventually be four or five installments to make a full novel,” she said.

Her creativity doesn’t stop there. She single-handedly turned a water-logged camper someone gifter her into a getaway for her and her husband.