Margaret Andora Leach

Margaret Andora Kunzler Leach, mother to Andrew Leach and Margot Leach, passed away in the early morning hours on Sunday, April 30, 2023, with her adoring husband Gary Leach at her side. She was 81 years old. Margie was a devoted wife and a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.

Margie was predeceased by her parents Christian and Andora Artz Kunzler and brother Christian Kunzler Jr of Lancaster, Pa; and her beloved daughter Margot Leach of Houston, Tx.

As an accomplished nurse and artist, Margie had a caring spirit, a sense of curiosity, and natural creativity that influenced all aspects of her life and those around her. She was a storyteller at heart, and we will joyfully remember all her experiences she shared so enthusiastically. Margie is survived by her loving husband Dr. Gary Leach of 58 years; her son Andrew Leach and his wife Andrea; grandchildren Johnathan, Kathryn and Sarah Leach; all of Houston, Tx. Margie is also survived by many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and supportive friends old and new.

Born June 5, 1941, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in her own words:

"I was born and raised in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the bucolic setting of an old Victorian home surrounded by beautiful small Amish farms. There I spent happy childhood days building hay forts in the Amish lofts, riding their horses and buggies, and swimming in the creek that edged my parents' property.

As a young child, I was inspired by the beauty nature had provided and did a lot of sketching of horses and outdoor scenes which were part of my daily life. I hoped to always be a painter and continue to grow with my passion in art."

While she never stopped pursuing her interest in art, as a young woman she moved to Philadelphia, Pa to attend nursing school at Penn Hall. It was there she met the love of her life, Gary, a young medical student at Jefferson Medical school. They married on June 12, 1965.

Little did the newlyweds know what adventures lay ahead. First to Minnesota for Gary’s residency at the Mayo Clinic (Margie worked there as a head nurse), then Gary’s induction in the Army and deployment to SHAPE Headquarters (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers of Europe) in Belgium.

Margie loved Europe and emersed herself in the culture; even learning enough French to easily converse with neighbors and navigate the local markets. As she later loved to tell, it was in one small French market when asking for directions, she learned from an impatient local the difference between a “patisserie” and a “petite souris”. Equipped with that knowledge, and now with two children in tow, the young family eagerly explored Europe from the picturesque sunny South of France to the vast vibrant tulip fields in the Netherlands. They filled boxes with photographs of their travels and acquired an impressive collection of antiques that would forever decorate their home.

After a few years, an honorable discharge, and back stateside, the Leach Family settled in Erie, Pa. making new lifelong friends and pursuing a new hobby, sailing, on Lake Erie. With Gary as a novice Captain and Margie a very vocal Second Mate, the tranquility of being under sail was only broken at the time of docking. It was here that Margie once again returned to her art brushes, this time in earnest, attending art classes at Mercyhurst University. The Erie summers were a delight, and the friends much loved, but the winters took their toll and so yet another move, this time to Texas, and it was here they finally settled at their home in Houston and farm in Schulenburg.

Both at home and at the farm, Margie loved to entertain and no one set a finer table. Every detail, personalized for each guest, was carefully put into place. Friends from high school, Europe, Erie, and Houston all spent time at Margie’s table enjoying each other’s company, her latest culinary creations, and good wine. She loved trying new recipes, baking Christmas cookies, and making pesto from basil she grew in the front flower beds of her home. Often, in the early evening before Gary arrived home from work, as the savory aromas of the pending meal wafted to the kids upstairs, she would play the piano in the living room. Debussy’s Clair de Lune was a favorite.

Margie was a prodigious artist and worked from two studios, one in Houston and the other at the farm in Schulenburg. With a focus on oil painting, she drew inspiration from her Lancaster childhood and the south-central Texas ranch landscape. Cows, hay bales, sunflowers, scenic vistas, and her granddaughters were frequent subjects. With the encouragement of her family, she entered her artwork in numerous competitions, often placing as a finalist and even awarded a few Best of Shows. She was a consistent supporter of the Arts in Houston and Schulenburg and donated annually to help fund art programs for school children.

And when blessed with three beautiful grandchildren of her own, she quickly assumed the role as a loving grandmother. Margie had a knack for finding new fun art kits and toys for the kids; leaving them on the “treat table” at the farm in anticipation of a visit. On weekends, equipped with their new butterfly nets and bug boxes the grandkids would race out into the hay fields in search of butterflies, grasshoppers, and fireflies. Between excursions, the kids loved her stories which she related with such passion: from her experience running with Willie Nelson in a Fun Run to the time a camel ran off with her in Egypt.

After Gary’s retirement, when Margie was not participating in an art show, they would venture off again traveling the world with high school and Houston friends: US National parks, European cruises (West & East), road trips across France, explorations of South America and the Middle East, sea kayaking in New Zealand. Thankfully, they had left Christchurch New Zealand barely 24hr before the major earthquake.

As much as she loved the soft rolling lavender fields in France, her favorite spot in all the world was the porch at the farm in Schulenburg. And there, in a little teak rocker, with Gary by her side, she would admire each sunset through her painter’s eye, noting the varied hues and delicate feathered brush strokes in the clouds. She would eagerly wait for her beloved cows to pass quietly in file from the lower pasture to the upper meadow as is their habit each evening. The nightly “cow parade” she called it. In the growing quietness, from the porch, she could hear the soft swish of the cow hooves passing through the tall grass on their procession. And the warm waning light would finally give way to purple twilight and the day would come to an end.

We are grateful for the compassionate end of life care Margie received from Crossroads Hospice and Eagle’s Trace Bayou Vista Teams.

Margie’s Funeral Mass will be held at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, TX, 77079, in the Chapel on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 10:30am. There will be a visitation in the Chapel Narthex from 9:30-10:30am that same day. Interment will follow the Mass at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, 13001 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX, 77079.

In lieu of flowers, please use the link provided to make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate

If you would like to enjoy Margie’s artwork, please visit: Margie K Leach Fine Art https://www.margiekleach.com/