Leanna Mae Day

February 19, 1958 – July 12, 2022

Survived by: Doug Day – husband; Erica Day – daughter; Melissa Day – daughter; Ken Hunt – Brother

Leanna grew up in a loving Christian family in West Covina, California with her parents Bob and Virginia Hunt, and her beloved brother Ken. She attended Christian school, and her parents taught her about Jesus from a young age. She trusted Jesus as her Savior on Easter Sunday when she was ten years old. As a young adult she worked as a fitting model in the tall fashion industry, as a receptionist, and then trained to become a registered nurse, and worked as a nurse for a time into her early married years. She prayed for years that God would bring a godly man into her life that she could love and that would love her, and then met Doug on the flight to the Urbana Missions Conference in late December 1981. They began to fall in love while walking and talking together along the snowy streets of Urbana, Illinois. It was clear that God was in their relationship, so they were engaged the following May and married on September 11, 1982.

The Lord blessed Doug and Leanna with two wonderful daughters: Erica born in 1984 and Melissa born in 1987. The family moved a number of times in California with Doug’s job, then in 1992 were led by one final job change to move to Arizona. In her early years in Arizona Leanna attended a prayer group “Moms in Touch” at the girls’ Christian school, where she met several women that remained friends for the rest of her life. Leanna was deeply involved in women’s Bible studies and women’s ministry. She felt especially called to Community Bible Study first as a participant and core leader at a Scottsdale church, then as leader and teacher of a group of women that planted a CBS group in East Valley that is still thriving today.

Since age forty Leanna faced seemingly endless health trials: three bouts with cancer, numerous hospitalizations with heart failure and various arrhythmias, orthopedic surgeries and more. Through it all she focused on praise and thanksgiving and continued to minister to her family and others through these difficult trials.

Leanna’s life has clearly exhibited the gift of mercy (Romans 12:8) as noticed by nearly everyone that comes to know her, as she has ministered to numerous women in all kinds of difficult situations. Her life has long been one of deep commitment to Christ, to prayer, Scripture memory, and a consistently Christ-centered lifestyle that evokes the truth of Ephesians 2:10: “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Leanna was a Barnabas that was always encouraging others, most of all her own family as Doug, Erica and Melissa have always felt wrapped in their beloved wife’s/mother’s loving embrace through her listening ear, encouraging word and prayerful devotion. She was a greeting card sender extraordinaire, nicknamed the “greeting card queen” by Doug. Leanna variously loved flowers, hummingbirds, pretty dishes, tea at the Phoenician, Christmas decorations, and her “pink room” where she spent most early mornings with a cup of coffee praying, journaling and studying God’s Word.

In March 2022 Leanna was diagnosed with an extremely rare angiosarcoma cancer in her heart, and was told she had 3-5 months to live. In her closing days, while she and countless family and friends prayed for God to perform a miraculous work of healing, Leanna reflected about her life to Doug: “God impressed me that prayer should be the backbone of my life. I always felt that my main ministry was to you and the girls, and I saw the threads of God’s faithfulness woven into my life. Mostly I prayed that God would help me to live my life with eternity in mind.” Those of us who knew Leanna well can proclaim most confidently that she has truly lived her life with eternity in mind.

Even as her disease progressed and Leanna could barely speak, she managed to say a feeble “thank you” to hospice caregivers and “I love you” to Doug, Erica and Melissa, often accompanied with a squeeze by her right hand, and “I know you do” when told by her family that we loved her. For those of us who loved Leanna deeply, it is indescribably painful to say goodbye. Yet we can rest easier in the knowledge that she is with Jesus now, possessing a fully healed body, and that we will see her again when we get to heaven ourselves.

The family thanks you for joining them for Leanna's services. They do ask that due to family allergies, that you do not wear any fragrances at the services. Flowers sent from family and friends are greatly appreciated, due to allergies, they ask that you stay away from sending lilies.