Maxine Monroe Leister

Maxine passed away peacefully on Monday, August 29, 2022 at her residence. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, September 9 at 11:30 am in the Special Occasions Room at the Well-Spring Retirement Community, 4100 Well Spring Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410.

Maxine was born in Cameron, West Virginia. For years, her family and friends celebrated her birthday on August 31. It wasn’t until she was applying for a passport later in life that she found out the date on her Birth Certificate was August 30, 1922. Her Driver’s License date of birth was 8-31-1922 and her Passport date of birth was 8-30-1922. She left a note with her directives, in her handwriting, stating: “DOB: 8-31-1922 (Not 8-30-1922)”. Maxine did not want to live to be 100 years old – she had her wish as she passed away on the 29th, still 99 years old. She did not want to be three digits.

Maxine was preceded in death by husbands, Robert Higgins, Jr. and Ralph Leister, and sister Jean Parker.

She was a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Home Economics. She then earned her Master’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Pittsburg. She married her high school sweetheart, Robert (Bob) Higgins, Jr. He had just returned from serving overseas in World War II. Her first job was as a lab technician testing agricultural fertilization methods. Bob and Maxine had three children Bob, Maxine, and Nancy who were raised in Greensboro and Norwood on Lake Tillery.

In 1978, Maxine’s husband Bob passed away and she later married Ralph A Leister. The Higgins and Leister families had been friends for many, many years, playing “Scotch” Foursome golf, cards, and interfamily fun. Ralph’s wife passed away a few months before Maxine’s husband. It was the perfect union; the two families were already close. Ralph brought two daughters to the family, Cordy and Janet. Maxine and Ralph spent 22 years in Kentfield, California before moving to Well-Spring Retirement Community in 2001.

Maxine was a tomboy who liked to play outside as a child. She enjoyed golf and tennis and played a mean game of ping-pong. She would eventually shoot not one, but TWO holes-in-one right here in Greensboro - one at Starmount Country Club, and the second at Sedgefield Country Club. She was runner up in NC state women’s golf championship. She enjoyed playing games of all kinds, and well, just having fun. Maxine recalled learning to water ski on Lake Tillery. After she got up on skis, Maxine decided to show off a little. She tried to jump the wake as she had seen her children do, but she went one way and the skis went another way! She loved a good game of cards, especially a good game of poker with her family, and was known for telling many jokes, some were off color. She also enjoyed playing practical jokes on others. She had a quick wit and plenty of snappy comebacks for others to enjoy but most of all, she loved to laugh. Her motto was “If it isn’t fun, I don’t want to play.” She was usually the life of the party.

Surviving are her children Robert Higgins III and wife, Sue of Brentwood, TN, Maxine Kinney and husband, Bill of Big Canoe, GA, Nancy Higgins and husband, Al Horner of High Point, NC, Janet Leister of Bothell, WA, and Cordelia Hill and husband, George of Kentfield, CA; seven grandchildren, Will Kinney, Katheryn Peck, Adam Higgins, Margaret Wolfli, George Hill and Elizabeth Hill; and seven great grandchildren, Taylor Kinney, Noah Kinney, Campbell Kinney, Monroe Peck, Alden Peck, Adeline Wolfli and James Wolfli.

She was loved by her family and many others including the Well-Spring staff and will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the “Well-Spring Employee Appreciation Fund” as thanks for taking such loving care of Maxine. The whole staff at Well-Spring is outstanding!

The family will receive friends following the service on Friday at Well-Spring.