Rebecca Wyse Norman Leager

A child of missionary parents, Rebecca Wyse Norman Leager was born in Tokyo, Japan on December 27, 1918. She lived in Japan until she was twelve, when the family returned to the U.S. She died December 4, 2015 after a brief illness. Her parents were the Rev. and Mrs. C. E. Norman. Rev. Norman spent 16 years as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Raleigh.

Rebecca was the widow of Samuel Richardson Leager, a lawyer of the Wake County Bar. She went to school in Raleigh and graduated from Randolph Macon College where she was a member of Phi Mu Sorority. She was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church since 1933 and was active in many phases of its work: singing in the choir, director of 3 hand bell choirs, president of Women of the Church, teaching Sunday School, vice president of the Church Council, serving on numerous committees and cooking countless meals.

One of her great interests was visitors from foreign countries, hosting people from Colombia, Russia, Mexico, Japan, and Germany.

She was a lifelong activist in the community, being a member and officer of the Junior Women’s Club and the Woman’s Club, acting as crew chief in the Raleigh Little Theater where she met her husband Sam in 1941, the Wake County Bar Auxiliary, and Alumnae Associations of St. Mary’s School and Randolph Macon College.

One of her passions was wild flowers. For a number of years, she went weekly to Chapel Hill to serve with a group called the “Digging Ladies”—a group who went to sites which were being prepared for shopping centers to rescue native plants and move them to the Botanical Garden. As a result, she developed an extensive wild flower garden of her own. She sang in the Bach Festival chorus for a number of years. For 16 years she was librarian to the General Assembly of NC.

She and her husband were members since its founding in 1952 of the Study Club, which meets monthly to hear talks by members on many subjects. They enjoyed foreign travel and also sailing on their Flying Scot Sailboat.

Their activities continued when they moved to Springmoor Retirement Community in 1998, where they continued carrying Meals on Wheels, sang in the Hot Shots and Chapel Choir and maintained a wild flower garden on the grounds. She led an origami club for residents and was much sought after as a dinner table companion.

Survivors include sons Marc, Andrew, and Ned Leager, daughters-in-law Kay and Tia, grandchildren Travis and wife Lauren, Amos and Louie Leager, and Austin Andrews and husband Richard, great grandsons Tripp and Henry Andrews and Weston Leager, nephew Douglas Howell and niece Libby Howell Schempf and her family. Her sister Kathryn Howell died in 2007.

Funeral will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at the corner of Brooks and Clark Avenues in Raleigh on December 21, 2015 at 11:00 AM.

Like the wildflowers in her yard, Becky did not require ostentation to beautify our world. Her unfailing thoughtfulness for others shall forever inspire us to follow her through the garden.