Doris Leonard, age 96, entered heaven on April 25. Her family rejoices in this passage.
Doris is survived by her daughter Janice Plemon (Joe), grandchildren Josh Plemon (Becky), Jaime Markovic (Zika), Jeremy Plemon (Erin), Jonathan Plemon, Beth Grothoff (Ryan), and Jennifer McGhee (Chuck). Doris’ daughter Debbie Moyer preceded her in death. Debbie’s husband, Carl, survives. Doris had nine great-grandchildren.
She managed Needlewoman Fabrics in downtown Mt Vernon for many years. After retirement from Needlewoman, she cooked for the children at JL Buford Elementary School. Doris knew every child by name, and many today still recall the love, smiles, and kindness she stirred into those school lunches. She made every family meal a special event by doting on all, be it two or twenty. Doris never quite scooted her chair up to the table but rather angled it toward the kitchen so she could pop up throughout the meal to fetch more potatoes, green beans, roast beef, or iced tea. Especially iced tea, as empty tea glasses, were simply not tolerated. When all were satisfactorily stuffed, Doris would dish out six-inch slabs of coconut pie, always with flaky crust and tantalizing meringue topping. Any suggestions that she sit down and enjoy the meal were dismissed with, “I’m doing what I love.” Of course. Even then, she was bringing a slice of heaven to her family.
Doris survived Irvin Smith, Janice and Debbie’s father, a man of faith who was salt and light to everyone he encountered. She survived Carl Sykes, who invited anyone and everyone who wasn’t in the church to give the Lord a try. And she survived Guy Leonard, who preached faithfully his entire life. At age 95, widowed for the third time, Doris moved from her beloved home in Mt Vernon, the home she was born in, to Countryside Manor Nursing Home. She was wheelchair-bound, grieving, and not happy. But God continued to use her. She began making friends and she invited those friends to the weekly Bible studies. She even drafted Joe, her son-in-law to lead one of those studies, whereupon she invited still more friends to attend. At age 96, Doris was elected by her peers as chair of the Welcome Committee for Countryside, an honor she cherished and continued until her passing. She leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, giving, faith, joy, and perseverance. Oh that we could all aspire to do the same.
The family invites all to attend a Celebration of Life for Doris Leonard at Eastside Gospel Lighthouse Community Church at 4th and Casey in Mt Vernon at 1:00 PM on Monday, May 8. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.
Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.
