Michele Lynn (Toops) Bierman (49) of Pasadena, MD, formerly of Neoga

Michele Lynn (Toops) Bierman, devoted mother, compassionate nurse, and beloved daughter, passed away unexpectedly on June 12th, 2024, at the age of 49.

Michele was born on May 13th, 1975, in Mattoon, IL, the daughter of Vernon and Maureen Toops. From a young age, Michele displayed a nurturing spirit and a passion for helping others. Michele pursued her dream of becoming a nurse and graduated with her associate's degree in Nursing from Lakeland College. She then continued her education at Lakeview College of Nursing, graduating summa cum laude with bachelor's degree in Nursing. Michele furthered her academic achievements by earning a Master's degree from the University of Phoenix in Nursing Education and Nursing Informatics in 2012. She dedicated herself to the nursing profession for 28 years, working tirelessly in multiple hospitals across the country in various specialties including long-term care, labor and delivery, Mother Baby, nursing informatics, dialysis, and behavioral health. Her true passion was in labor and delivery, where she joyously helped bring new life into the world and advocated for mothers in need. Michele held leadership roles, including her most recent position as the hospital systems administrator for Davita, where she continued to impact countless lives with her kindness and skill. Michele's dedication to nursing inspired her two daughters, who followed in her footsteps and became pediatric nurses—a source of immense pride for Michele. Outside of her career, Michele found her greatest joy in her children. She cherished every moment spent with her five beautiful children: Robert (26), Kelsey (25), Hannah (24), Christian (21), and Andrew (20). Michele was a loving and devoted mother, always prioritizing her children's needs. She enjoyed playing card games, relaxing on the beach, savoring seafood by the water, cheering on the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles, playing bingo, going bowling, and watching her favorite TV shows with her family. Michele absolutely loved to go out dancing, especially to her favorite 80s cover band, The New Romance.

Michele will be deeply missed by her boyfriend, Mike Paulin; her children, Robert, Kelsey, Hannah, Christian, and Andrew; her son-in-law, Bobby Lieske; her father, Vernon Toops; her siblings, Patrick (Kristi) Toops and James Toops; her ex husband Brian Bierman; her grandmother, Betty Toops; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and a large extended family and friends who adored her. Michele always reminisced about the good times she had riding horses with her childhood best friend April Walk. She was known for her resilience and strength, having fought and beaten breast cancer in 2019.

A visitation will be held at Swengel-O’Dell Funeral Home in Neoga, IL on Thursday, June 20th, 2024, from 5-8 PM. The funeral service will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Neoga, IL at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society at PO Box 6704 Hagerstown, MD 21741 to support research efforts aimed at ending breast cancer. If you decide to donate please click the check box that says dedicate your donation and fill in Michele Lynn Bierman. Michele's family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the medical staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital for their dedication and compassion during Michele’s illness. Online condolences may be expressed by clicking here.