Helen A.“Hellie” Leach

Hellie was born on June 9, 1928 in Dayton, Ohio to Alban and Ruth Hayes. She moved as a small child to Omaha, Nebraska and then attended primary school in Duluth and Stambrook Hall during her high school years. While earning her Bachelors of Arts Degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth and working at First National Bank of Duluth, she met her husband, David Leach. They married June 21, 1952 at Holy Rosary Cathedral. The couple first lived in Minneapolis, and then moved to Marquette, Michigan where David and she raised her five children. She was always busy shuttling children from swimming lessons, ski races, tennis, hockey and basketball.

Hellie was active in the community, helping to set up a preschool at a local church, working with the Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee, Cliffs Ridge Ski Club, and was an award-winning member of “Yesterday’s Girls”, planting flowers along US 41 in downtown Marquette.

Hellie was a founding member of the Marquette Cotillion Dance Club, a member of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Marquette Golf Club, and the Lake Michigamme Property Owners Association.

Hellie enjoyed gardening, spending summers with family at her camp on Lake Michigamme, wintering with friends in Cancun, Mexico, and traveling to visit her children and grandchildren.

She is predeceased by her husband, David Leach; sisters, Ruth “Mickie” (Gary) Klein and Kathleen “Billie” (Dick) Bianco. She is survived by her brother, Bob Hayes of Garden Grove, CA; three daughters, Sally (Dave) Peterjohn of Excelsior, MN, Mary (Tom) Russell of Newport Beach, CA and Betsy (Don) Hughes of San Diego, CA; two sons, Dr. David (Nancy) Leach of Tampa, FL and Tim (Anne-Marie) Leach of Maple Grove, MN. She is also survived by 11 loving grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 7th at 12: 30 p.m. in St. Peter Cathedral with the Rev. Msgr. Michael Steber officiating. The Leach family will greet relatives and friends in the Bishop’s Room beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday until the time of the Mass. Burial will take place in the Holy Cross Cemetery. Mrs. Leach’s grandchildren will act as her escorts.

Those wishing to make an expression of sympathy are kindly asked to consider St. Peter. Cathedral, 311 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855 or the Marquette Beautification Committee, PO Box 34, Marquette, MI 49855 in Hellie’s memory.

The Canale-Tonella Funeral Home is assisting the Leach family where memories may be shared at canalefuneral.com.