She was born in Macon on July 19, 1959 to Jerry and Faye Payne. She was a graduate of Southwest High School and Macon Junior College. She worked at Lincoln National Life and BellSouth in Macon, and married Michael Ray Wilkes in 1981. She transferred to BellSouth in Atlanta and settled in Lawrenceville, raising their family over 20 years. They were active in First Baptist Church Lawrenceville and Lawrenceville Church of God.
After retiring, LeAnne worked as a preschool teacher and as a paraprofessional in the Gwinnett County School System, before returning to Macon, finishing her work life at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. LeAnne and Mike relocated to Summerset, South Dakota in 2015.
A loving wife of more than 38 years, a beloved mother and grandmother, LeAnne is survived by her husband; daughter Ashley Wilkes of Macon; son and daughter-in-law Jonathan and Julienne (Moore) Wilkes, and two grandsons, Jesse and Levi, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
Visitation will be held at Macon Memorial Park Funeral Home at 5:00 PM on Thursday, January 23, with a memorial service to be held Friday, January 24, at 11:00 AM at Ingleside Baptist Church's Chapel. Dr. Mark Hudgins will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are suggested to Samaritan's Purse.
Visit www.maconmp.com to express tributes.
