Kelly Allard Leach

October 25, 1968 – February 18, 2025

Kelly Allard Leach, age 56, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2025, after a brief illness. Both her husband, Jon, and her mother, Sandy, were by her side.

Kelly was born in Santa Monica, California, on October 25, 1968, and later moved with her family to Montville, Connecticut. She graduated from Montville High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Clark University, where she met Jon, her best friend and the love of her life. After Clark, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design for a year and spent the first part of her career tapping into her artistic side as a marketing director and graphic designer.

Recognizing she wanted to make more of an impact in the world, Kelly decided to follow her passion for helping others. She took a mid-career leap of faith to pursue her dream and earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut in 2018, and her LCSW license in 2022. In February 2024, she opened her own practice, Blue Water Counseling, in Madison, specializing in helping adolescents and adults manage anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and life transitions. She took great joy in creating a warm and cozy space of welcome for her clients.

Kelly and Jon met in 1988, when they were attending neighboring colleges. Theirs was a true love story from Day One. They married in 1993 and were seldom apart throughout their nearly 30 years of marriage. Together they built a beautiful home, traveled, and raised numerous feline fur babies.

Kelly had more than her fair share of health challenges. At age 11, she survived a serious car accident, which permanently damaged her spinal cord and caused other internal injuries. She faced all of it with courage and determination, never letting it stop her from anything she set her mind to. She loved trying new things and fearlessly encouraged Jon to adventure with her, which he did, just to see her smile. She was the sweetest person and had the biggest heart, coupled with a wicked sense of humor tinged with a healthy dose of sarcasm. Her smile could light up a room and her belly laughs were contagious.

Kelly was a longtime member of the Killingworth Women's Organization, serving as Operations Manager for their Helping Hands Food Pantry. She dedicated countless hours to ensure her neighbors experiencing food insecurity had a reliable, confidential resource for supplemental food. She enjoyed the community she found with KWO and served as its president for several years. This gave her the opportunity to work with and learn from her counterparts nationally, which she valued. She was also a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Connecticut.

Kelly was predeceased by her father, William Allard, and is survived by her adoring husband, Jon Leach, her loving mother, Ethel (Sandy) Allard, caring aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and four cats.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Kelly's lifelong wishes, the family is establishing a charitable fund to benefit children with spinal cord injuries like hers. Details to follow. A celebration of Kelly’s life is being planned by her family for April.