LESLEY DAWN LEANEY

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LESLEY DAWN LEANEY

November 19, 1955 – December 6, 2023

Lesley passed away peacefully after a long illness. She will be greatly missed by her brother Scott [Bernie] and sister Christine [Hugh], nephews Kyle [Madison], Austin and niece Marnie [Preston], great-nephew Kasper and great-niece Daphne, partners: Fred Abney, Rob Kitchen, Hugh Bergman, and Blaine Flewin. Lesley was predeceased by her parents Donald and Violet Leaney.

Lesley was born in Winnipeg and grew up in Fort Garry, graduating from Vincent Massey Collegiate in 1973. To say that Lesley was a free spirit would be an understatement. She was very intelligent and high school was apparently too easy for her so she often chose other activities over classes, yet still graduated with ease. She was technically oriented and showed a great talent for sewing, which she continued throughout her life. She became proficient in the geometry of astrology and would take great pleasure in reading one’s chart. She was very skillful with her Nikon. She loved music and dancing and became a classic jazz aficionado. She was frequently a source of exasperation to her parents but the love was always there and she was a great sister to her younger twin siblings.

Lesley was generally in longer term, common-law relationships throughout her life and stayed in contact with all of her exes. She was formally married once for a short time. After high school she stayed in Winnipeg and worked at the NorthStar Inn. She journeyed east for a time before moving to Vancouver’s West End where she spent most of her life. After a few years working in various music clubs around town she learned desk-top publishing and got a job at ToyoPumps in Burnaby. There she worked for 16 years, ultimately rising to the position of Application Sales Engineer, travelling to sell bilge pumps in northern BC, Utah and Peru, a credit to her intelligence as she had no formal training as an engineer. Later on she lived for a few years in Campbell River and Courtney. It was while she was there on the island that she started a little cottage industry of sewing pillows and oven mitts out of recycled denim with the name “Airi”, the first name of her mother, embroidered on each item. She was proud of her Finnish heritage.

In 2019 Lesley returned home to Winnipeg just prior to the death of her mother. As with so many, she fell prey to her predilections. Lesley was dearly loved by all who were lucky enough to know her as a beautiful, creative, entertaining person.

Our family would like to thank the medical staff at St. Boniface, Victoria and Grace Hospitals. Special thanks to Colin Katelnikoff.

There will be no service, Lesley’s ashes will be spread at Woodchuck Bay with her Mom and Dad’s.

In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to CancerCare or Heart and Stroke.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 16, 2023, Dec 16, 2023