Kathleen Lynn Leslie

Kathleen Lynn Shoenhard Leslie was born in Corvallis, Oregon, on December 13, 1949, right in the middle of finals week. Her birth interrupted her father Jim Shoenhard's concentration as she landed in her mother Alyce's open arms.

Kathy was educated at Assumption Grade School and DeSales High School in Walla Walla, Washington where she sang and formed opinions about nuns. She continued to Santa Clara University as part of the first generation of women on campus.

Kathy met Richard Black Leslie III while attending Santa Clara. They sang in the choir together but first spoke to one another while Richard was being hazed as part of his initiation into Scabbard and Blade, an ROTC honor society. Richard was wearing a sign that read, “I am a Snuffie”. Ever curious, Kathy asked, “What is a Snuffy?” And so began their life together.

Kathy and Richard were married in May of 1971. Six months later the newlyweds moved to Soest, Germany where Richard was stationed in an artillery unit. Their daughter Jennifer arrived while they were abroad. They returned to the US in 1974 and four sons followed over the next eight years.

Upon returning to the US, Richard enrolled in seminary at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley California. Kathy was hired into a staff position as the Refectory Administrator; the seminarians had never eaten so well. Kathy was a great cook!

Kathy raised her children in Berkeley, San Francisco, San Jose and Fremont, California. She coached her son’s baseball and basketball teams and was a loyal side-line fan for the numerous other sports her children played. She was a lover of anything sports related. Whether the diamond was on a little league, minor league, or major league field, there was always a scorebook in her hands. She passed that tradition over to her husband, each of her children and grandchildren.

Kathy held many roles over her life; picking strawberries and working in her father's Bird's Eye plant (which generated much family folklore), volunteering in her children's elementary schools, and later working at a medical practice in Fremont. After moving to Pacific Grove in 2000, she brought her expertise to an optometry practice, all while maintaining her true passions: singing, knitting prayer shawls, and volunteering for Social Concerns.

Kathy was a cantor at St. Angela’s Catholic Church in Pacific Grove and sang with the Camerata Singers of Monterey County for 20 years. She was a regular volunteer at the Carmel Bach Festival. She and Richard had a running joke. When he left the house, he’d say, “I’ll be Bach”, she’d reply, “I’ll be Haydn”. Music permeated everything - her license plate read “Altos Z”.

Kathy created a home which was a center of gathering, laughter and song. She was a skilled chef, she could make anything from scratch. She loved being in her kitchen. Though not a fan of camping, she treasured her adventures with the “Women’s Flatlanders” group at St. James’ Church in Fremont, who took in the great outdoors together - strength in numbers.

Kathy navigated 13 years of worsening dementia with the grit and faith that mirrored her life. As one choir director and mentor remarked,"“Kathy didn’t suffer fools” and she included herself in abiding to her own standards.

To round this all out, she had a marvelous laugh. If you knew Kathy, I’m certain you can still hear it if you try.

Kathy breathed her last on September 27, 2025, Richard's hand in hers as it had been for 54 years of marriage.

She will be, is already, missed.

Kathy's family includes her husband Richard; her children Jennifer (Roland), Ian (Michelle), James, Michael, and David; her grandchildren Grace, Javier, Gabriel, and Matthew; her siblings Mary Alyce (Tim), Jim, Tom, and Casey; she is preceded in death by her parents Jim and Alyce, and sister Janet.

If you’d like to honor Kathy’s memory, sing something out loud sometime this week. Make a donation to your local food bank. In doing so, you will be carrying out Kathy’s legacy.

Kathy’s funeral will be held on Saturday January 17th at 11am at St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 20 University Ave, Los Gatos, California.