Mary Elizabeth Leach

Mary Elizabeth Heffernan Leach passed away December 15, 2024 after a long struggle with respiratory issues. During her lifetime, she epitomized openness, kindness, generosity, and acceptance towards everyone she encountered. She was the oldest of three daughters of Howard Heffernan and Irene Nodlinski Heffernan and grew up in Denver, CO. She attended Saint Francis De Sales high school and made many lifetime friends while there. Still in Denver, she worked as a bookkeeper at ITT Hamilton, where she met her future husband, Scott Leach. They were lucky enough to celebrate their 50th anniversary this past March.

They moved to Stevens Point (and then Plover), Wisconsin in 1976, where they welcomed the arrival of their only daughter, Amy Elizabeth. Mary stayed home during the early part of Amy's life, but due to her bookkeeping background, she was able to work for several years as a secretary at P. J. Jacobs Junior High School in charge of the budget, among other clerical tasks. She loved working with the kids and had a great relationship with them. While married, she worked as a scorekeeper for Scott's early softball leagues and was a leading member of their couples bowling league. The annual theme party was one of the highlights each year. This allowed her to make many friends in the community, including the children around her, a trend that continued throughout her life.

At their residence in Plover, Mary maintained a beautiful garden that provided a bounty of green beans carrots (mostly consumed by the family beagle, Daphne), and other vegetables, lined with cheerful flowers. Gardening was a key hobby that culminated in receiving her Master Gardener certificate later in life. She loved traveling and the Leach family usually made one trip every summer, sometimes to visit family, but other times to explore new vistas. She has been to 42 states, had short excursions to Mexico and Canada, made four trips to Europe, and visited her exchange student daughter Luba Kulikova in Russia.

Upon retirement, Mary and Scott moved to Grand Junction, Colorado to be closer to her two sisters, Kathy Lisco and Ellen Heffernan and their families. This is where she began her Master Gardener education, and she also participated actively in one of the local quilt guilds, Sunset Slope Quilters, both groups leading to new and close friendships. She loved the creativity of wool applique with hand stitching, and making quilts for family members and charity gave her a sense of purpose.

Mary is survived by her husband, Scott Leach; her daughter, Amy Elizabeth Leach; her sisters Kathy Lisco (Tom) and Ellen Heffernan (Joe Ramey), and a multitude of cousins, nieces, and nephews, as well as many dear friends. The family is holding a small memorial gathering, but a larger celebration of life will take place later this year when weather is more conducive to travel. They request that donations to organizations dear to Mary's heart take the place of any flowers that might be sent.

Appropriate Charities:

Any progressive charity of your choice. Some options include:

Doctors Without Borders

St. Jude

Green Junction Farmstead - organic CSA (locally grown vegetable shares) to families in need

3449 Front Street

Clifton, CO 81520

https://www.gjfarmstead.com