Leah Anne Flory

Leah Anne (Mounce) Flory, age 81, passed away on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, in Germantown, Maryland, after an extended illness. Born November 27, 1941, to Robert Barton Mounce, Sr., and Anna Lee (Barton) Mounce in Camden, NJ, she was raised in Collingswood, NJ, and was a graduate of Collingswood High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Trenton State College. Leah spent most of her adult life working in various teaching positions, taking on numerous volunteer jobs, and serving in many churches with her husband of 42 years, Rev. Donald Robert Flory.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her beloved sister, Jeanette (Arnold) Kohler; her parents, and her son, Eric Flory. Leah is survived by her brother, Robert Barton (Jeanette) Mounce, Jr. (Westmont, NJ), and her two daughters, Jennifer Flory (Timothy) Fuss of Germantown, MD, and Alice (John) Landino of Sterling Heights, MI.

Leah and Donald had three children: Eric (Dawn) Flory of Troy, Ohio; Jennifer and Alice. Leah is also survived by her ten beloved grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Meredith, Landon and Jaiden Flory (Ohio); Rachel Estrada and Bethany Fuss (Maryland); Demir, Meghan, Renée and Jesse Landino (Michigan). Leah is survived by four nephews: Robert (Margie) Mounce; Richard Mounce; Kevin (Karen) Kohler; and Steven Kohler, as well as a great number of other family and friends.

Leah was passionate about the mission trips she took to Honduras and Chile, and invested in many mission projects. She greatly enjoyed travel opportunities within and outside the United States, and her favorite places to visit annually were church camp and Ocean City, New Jersey. She especially enjoyed seeing lighthouses. Leah was an avid reader, participating in book discussion groups and visiting her local library frequently. She also completed many counted cross-stitch projects, often proudly giving them as gifts.

Leah maintained connections to dozens of friends and relatives, remembering birthdays of people she loved and sending annual Christmas letters to celebrate each year’s highlights of her family. In addition to these occasions, Leah was likely to send a note “just because” and was a close friend to many. Leah was considered a second mom to the various exchange students she hosted as well as to many of her children’s friends.

Leah had a deep faith in God. She took pride in being a traditional pastor’s wife and loved the Church of the Brethren and United Methodist congregations where she and her husband served in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and Illinois. She sought out opportunities to lead neighborhood Bible studies or Vacation Bible School programs, volunteer at local food and clothing pantries, and deliver Meals on Wheels in her senior apartment building. Leah worked as a visiting chaplain at a nursing home and found great meaning in being present to people in that setting.

Leah was an enthusiastic participant in the alto sections of many school, community and church choirs in her life, most recently at Grace United Methodist Church. In her youth, she played the French horn. She prioritized volunteering in educational settings. Leah volunteered at Dr. Sally K. Ride and Great Seneca Creek Elementary Schools and as a teacher for adult English learners at Grace United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg. Leah also loved dogs, both her own and those in her circle. During the pandemic, she took care of a dog whose previous owner had become too ill to care for him. Leah loved a nice brisk walk (preferably with a friend or her dog), usually in the morning before her coffee.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 10:00am at Grace United Methodist Church, 119 N. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD, 20877.

In lieu of flowers, Leah’s family request donations to Leah’s church www.graceumc.org, Heifer International www.heifer.org, or a charity that is meaningful to the donor.