Audrey Ruth Leak

Audrey Ruth Leak passed away on June 3, 2015 at 79. She was born Audrey Ruth Powell in West Drayton England November 11, 1935. She lived near Heathrow Airport where many U.S. Armed Forces service members were stationed after WW2, with missions that included the Berlin Airlift as the USSR was closing the “Iron Curtain” and dividing Europe to begin the “Cold War”. Audrey met a dashing young American Airman, her future husband, Ken Leak, while he was stationed at a smaller airfield outside West Drayton/Uxbridge. Audrey was employed as an usher in a movie theatre. She eventually worked her way up to becoming the first female projectionist ever employed there.

Audrey and Ken married July 20, 1954, raised two boys and traveled the world together along with their pet Chihuahua “Rosie” to Germany, Cheyenne, Wyoming, Denver, Colorado, Tampa, Florida, Tucson, Arizona, Flora, Illinois, France and back to Germany again. Ken retired from the Air Force, was assigned his last station of duty at Perrin Field in Denison and was promoted to the rank of Tech. Sargent in 1968.

Ken took a mail order course and learned how to repair televisions and opened Denison TV Repair in the early 70’s. In 1976 Audrey and Ken moved up Armstrong Avenue and opened Denison TV and Simpsons Book Store. Audrey loved all forms of art, including oil painting and ceramics, but finally decided that books were going to pay the bills and together the family created one of the largest library style paperback book stores in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. She was well known and respected by many in our community including many in the business and professional community as well as celebrities, from authors to actors and many college professors, teachers and many, many students over the years. The comic book craze of the 1980’s was the icing on the cake for Audrey and Ken, only because she listened to her youngest customers and knew their small voices mattered. They retired in 2006 after 30 years and began their second love of looking for hidden treasures at estate and garage sales.

She was preceded in death by her oldest son Steven Roy Leak, parents Arthur Powell and Beatrice Spratley and brother Geoffrey Powell from Hollywood, California. Audrey left behind her husband Ken, son Jim Leak and granddaughter Kelsey Rangel and her husband Donnie Rangel.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 P.M., Saturday, June 6, 2015 at The Refuge, 2300 W. Morton St., Denison, Texas, with Pastor Larry Goodwin officiating.