Leone Anna Miller was born on September 22nd, 1935 to Percy and Lillian Miller on a farm outside of Laura, Saskatchewan. She was born in the house that her grandfather built in 1905. She attended school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
She started skating at the age of 2 when her father built her an ice skating rink on their farm. She had several passions in her life: family, skating, coaching, and the farm. There was nothing better than exploring the farm and helping her father.
She met her future husband, David Spalding, at the Saskatoon Figure Skating Club where he was the Head Professional. Her first professional coaching position was in Brandon, Manitoba where she choregraphed shows and taught many classes. Throughout her career, she and David taught at many different places including: Sioux City, Iowa; Billings, Montana; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Portland, Oregon.
In 1963, Leone and David moved to Portland to take over coaching at Lloyd Center Ice Pavilion. Leone also taught at the Memorial Coliseum at that time. She and David started teaching at Valley Ice Arena in 1965. In 1969, Leone and David started the Carousel Figure Skating Club where they both worked and contributed to the club until David’s death in 1985. After his death, Leone continued to be a major contributor to the club and the skating community. Leone finished her career at Sherwood Ice Arena in 2014.
Leone inspired many generations of skaters throughout her life in Canada and the United States. Leone was quoted as saying “The wonderful thing about skating is that you can learn at any age.” – Kalamazoo Gazette (1961)
On December 28, 2019, Leone passed away peacefully with her family by her side. Leone is remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, coach, and mentor. She is survived by her Son, David Spalding, his wife, Christina, and their daughter, Marlene Leone; Leone’s Daughter, Laurie McCuddy, husband, Matt, and their children, Max, Spencer and Maddie.
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