Leah Lura Elliott Wilson, 74, of Shawnee, Kansas, passed away on November 7, 2022, after a brief illness.
Leah was born in St. Joseph, Michigan. Because her father was in the Army, she moved around a lot during her childhood, but graduated from high school in Ft. Pierce, Florida. In early adulthood, she spent several years in California before moving to the Kansas City area in the early 1970’s.
For many years, she worked in the restaurant industry managing pizza places where she became quite skilled at knowing what makes an excellent pizza and what makes one just so-so. She was also very talented at working with people. Her excellent interpersonal skills lead her to a job working as an Account Manager at G.E. Capital for 23 years. Before her retirement in 2013, she was able to travel internationally and train others on how to give excellent customer service to even the most difficult people.
Leah leaves behind a daughter, Dina Lee, of Shawnee, Kansas. A son, Michael Wilson (Heather), of Paxton, Illinois, five grandchildren, Savannah Bennett (Brent Gunnells), Jonah Wilson (Sarah), Landon Wilson, Olivia Wilson, and Kate Wilson; one great grandson, Joey, and one great granddaughter due February 2023. She also leaves behind sisters, Sherry Parmeley, and Gale Woodell, as well as one brother, Jim Elliott. In addition to her biological family, she leaves behind a group of friends who were like family. They spent a lot of time together playing Bridge and having “Ladies Night Out.”
Those who loved her will remember her for so many reasons, but mostly for the things she loved. Leah loved playing board games with her family, which tended to bring out her competitive side. A great day for Leah would be starting the morning with a good cup of coffee, perusing thrift stores, and stopping for lunch at Culver’s for a fish sandwich, fries, and a rootbeer (bonus points if she could use a bendy straw.) She loved going to the movies, traveling, flamingos, and finding a good bargain. Some might say she was the world’s biggest fan of Days of Our Lives. She often spoke of the characters in regular conversation as though everyone around her was as invested in the storylines as she was.
It sounds cliche, but Leah will be terribly missed. Her laugh made everyone else laugh. She was friendly to everyone. She was quirky. She was independent and strong. She was a wonderful mom, doting grandma, patient and kind mother-in-law, devoted friend, and hard worker. “Like sands through the hourglass, so were the days of her life.”
Visitation will be from 4-5:00 PM, Friday, November 11, 2022 at the Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia Street, Lenexa, KS followed by a Memorial Service at 5:00 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kansas City Hospice House.