JoAnne Leany, 64, died peacefully at home Monday, July 29, 2019, after a valiant battle with breast cancer. She was born April 8, 1955, in Salt Lake City, UT, the third child of Duane Jay and Thelma Golden Leany.
JoAnne never was what you would call a girly girl. If anyone suggested she wear “pink,” she would give you her most “are you kidding me” disgusted look, and you knew to back off. Playing with dolls was not really her forte, she would much rather be playing outside. JoAnne was quite the tomboy. She played games with the kids in the neighborhood and was super competitive. As time went on, she gained a real love for playing basketball and softball and was very good at both.
Another love JoAnne had was camping and being in the great outdoors. If she could have spent her whole life outside camping, hiking, making s’mores, and cooking over a campfire, she would have thought she had gone to heaven. Dutch oven cooking was one of her great “domestic” skills!
JoAnne attended Rose Park Elementary, Northwest Junior High, and West High School where she played clarinet in the band, and sang Tenor in the A Cappella choir. She also spent time in the Pep Club. She graduated from high school in 1973. Following high school, JoAnne went to work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in their Mail Room Department. She eventually became a manager & was later promoted to the position of Analyst for the Department. She retired in February 2019 with 45 years of dedicated service.
In 1976, when JoAnne submitted her papers to serve a mission, she said she didn’t care where she served as long as she didn’t have to learn a foreign language. She accepted a call to the La Paz, Bolivia Mission as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she served for 18 months. She learned Spanish and also helped to translate the Book of Mormon into the Aymara language! (She has maintained her Spanish language skills & it has served her well throughout her life). A portion of her mission was spent on the mountains with the Aymara Indians. She wore Levi’s, lived in a tent, and slept on woven mats. She and her companion would work alongside the natives to gain their trust, and even learned to use a scythe to help cut the grain.
JoAnne never married or had children of her own, but she absolutely loved her nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews. She loved going to Disneyland & took her sibling’s kids 3 at a time to Disneyland (first the boys & then the girls) when they were between 8 & 10 years old. When she took the boys, her car was brand new, but had no air conditioning. She bought herself & all the boys squirt guns so they could survive the drive through the desert!
JoAnne also had a special birthday box full of miscellaneous items. When the families gathered together for holidays or outings, out would come the birthday box. All who had had birthdays since the last get together could reach inside the box and select their special prize, even the adults. She made everyone feel special, important, and loved.
JoAnne was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with a strong Testimony of her Savior Jesus Christ. She served in many positions in the Young Women’s Program and loved spending time with the young women in the Ward and Stake. Some of her callings included Ward Sports Director and Camp Director. She served as a coach and referee at various times in basketball, softball, and volleyball. She also served in the Relief Society Presidency and as a Gospel Doctrine teacher for many years. She had a passion for music and joined the Ward Choir when she was twelve years old. She was a faithful member from then until her death. She’s probably singing in a heavenly choir now!
JoAnne lived a very frugal lifestyle. She rarely spent much money on herself and lived very simply, but was very generous with others; always putting their needs above her own. She spent her life quietly serving others & was definitely a shining example of Christ-like living.
The final hurrah of her life was taking a much-anticipated trip to Hawaii to visit her sister Cheryl. This was truly a “tender mercy” from a loving Father-in-Heaven.
JoAnne is survived by sisters Karen (Dave) Gerrard, Clearfield, UT; Lori (Rick) Taylor, West Jordan, UT; Cheryl Leany, Hawaii, along with 6 Nieces, 2 Nephews, 7 Grand Nieces & 14 Grand Nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Richard Leany; and nephew, Bradley Gerrard.
