Elizabeth "Liz" Ann Birkel-Leddy

Elizabeth “Liz” Ann Birkel-Leddy, 44, passed away on July 17, 2026. Born on October 17, 1981, Liz was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in South Omaha near 13th and Castelar Streets. She later made her home in La Vista, Nebraska, where she built a life centered on family, service, and the steady, thoughtful care she gave to others in both quiet and lasting ways.

Liz attended All Saints Catholic School through eighth grade, where she was honored as the May Queen—an early sign of the respect she earned from those around her. She graduated from Bryan High School in 2000, throwing herself into the life of the school with energy and determination: she played on the Bryan High School basketball and volleyball teams, swam on the Christ Child Society swim team, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the high school newspaper. Liz also dedicated herself to Scottish Highland dancing, retiring as an “Open Dancer,” the highest class of dancer—a rank she achieved through discipline, perseverance, and an unmistakable drive to do things well.

Her love of learning and her natural leadership continued at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Special Studies with concentrations in Sociology and Religion. Liz graduated in 2004 summa cum laude, while also serving as Editor-in-Chief of the college newspaper and working as a student entertainment and events planner. She went on to the University of Nebraska at Omaha, earning a Master of Science in Urban Studies and attending from 2004 through 2006. Her studies reflected a deep interest in people, communities, and the practical work of improving the places where life happens—an interest that would shape the rest of her career.

Liz devoted more than two decades to public service, with a career defined by competence, care, and a sincere desire to solve problems that mattered to real people. She began as a Housing Counselor with Consumer Credit Counseling Service from February 2005 through July 2008. From August 2008 through September 2013, she served as Executive Director of Golden Hills RC&D in Oakland, Iowa, where her commitment to rural resource conservation and community development was evident in the work she helped advance—promoting the Iowa Scenic Byways system, preserving and promoting the Loess Hills of western Iowa, supporting tourism and Iowa vineyards, and writing and receiving a grant to help preserve the Todd House, an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

Liz joined the City of Omaha in September 2013 as a City Planner, and from November 2014 through July 2026 she served as a Council Staff Assistant. In that role, Liz researched and analyzed public policy issues, supported members of the Omaha City Council, analyzed budgets, prepared reports, assisted with legislative initiatives, worked closely with city boards, commissions, committees, and departments, and served constituents with diligence and respect. She was known as someone who could be counted on—thorough, dependable, and exceptionally knowledgeable—and she seemed always to know exactly who to call and how to help. Liz especially valued work that strengthened the fabric of community life, including support for Omaha’s parks, the Omaha Public Library, and public access television.

On October 19, 2007, Liz was married to Michael Leddy at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Following their wedding, she and Mike honeymooned in Negril, Jamaica, and later purchased a home in La Vista—one she envisioned as a gathering place where the entire family could come together for birthdays, holidays, and special events. Liz made that vision real through the steady warmth she brought to everyday life and the care she put into making others feel welcome.

Liz became a mother to Aaron (born October 7, 2010) and Ryan (born February 26, 2014). She prepared for each child with love and intention, including the remodeling of a bedroom into a nursery for Aaron and Ryan during her pregnancy. As a mother, Liz was deeply nurturing and remarkably patient, attentive to the details that hold a family together—clean clothes, warm meals, forms completed, appointments scheduled, birthdays planned, holidays made special, and the countless small acts of reassurance that children remember for a lifetime. When her children were sick or frightened, she met them with comfort rather than hurry, staying close until they felt safe. Her care was practical, constant, and unmistakably loving.

The everyday joys that made Liz unmistakably herself were many: reading, cooking, gardening, coffee, music, movies, and pop culture trivia. She loved traveling and planning family vacations, and she brought particular devotion to Christmas, family traditions, and hosting holidays. Liz enjoyed Husker football and volleyball, and she followed Supernova Volleyball. She loved cats—Orange Cat and Boots, Salem, and Mr. Foxy—and found companionship and comfort in the small routines of home. She also loved movies from the 1980s, with favorites including *Say Anything…*, *West Side Story*, and *A League of Their Own.* *Project Hail Mary* was also her most recent favorite book and movie. Music held meaning in Liz’s life as well, including “Hazard” by Richard Marx; “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy (the song for her first dance as husband and wife); and “Sand in My Boots” by Morgan Wallen.

Those who knew Liz will remember her welcoming smile and the ease with which she made others feel seen and at home. She laughed readily—especially at Aaron’s jokes and the funny things Ryan would do and say—and her laughter had a way of drawing everyone else into the moment. Liz’s intelligence was evident early and remained constant throughout her life, but it was matched by humility and a steady compassion that shaped how she moved through the world. Whether serving residents through her work, supporting colleagues and council members, or caring for her family at home, Liz brought a quiet excellence to what she did and a sincere tenderness to the people she loved.

Liz’s legacy is one of devoted public service, steadfast love for her family, and the kind of everyday goodness that strengthens a home and a community alike. She will be deeply missed.

Liz was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Louis and Anne Birkel; maternal grandparents, Joseph and Lorraine Chudomelka; great-aunt, Mary; and best friend, Anna Hamilton.

Those left to cherish Liz’s memory include her devoted husband, Mike Leddy; her beloved sons, Aaron Leddy and Ryan Leddy; her parents, James Daniel Birkel and Kathleen Ann (Chudomelka) Birkel; her brother, John Birkel, and his wife, Carrie; her twin brother, Daniel “Dan” Birkel, and his wife, Amanda; her brother, Patrick Birkel, and wife Tina; and many cherished relatives and dear friends.

Please join us in celebrating Liz's life. Visitation will occur Wednesday, July 29, from 4:00-8:00 pm at Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home; a Vigil Service will take place at 7:30 pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will occur on Thursday, July 30, at 10:00 am at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Fremont, with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery.