Mary Elaine Leverich Collenberg

Elaine Leverich Mears Collenberg was born June 17, 1921, and died peacefully surrounded by her loving sister, children and grandchildren on June 27, 2016. She was preceded in death by her first husband, John Savier Mears and her second husband, Stewart Neale Collenberg, her parents, Mary Campbell Leverich and Watts Kearny Leverich and her sister Marion Leverich Miller. Elaine (Lanie) grew up in New Orleans, graduated from Louise S. McGehee School and Newcomb College of Tulane. She was a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, the Junior League of New Orleans, a member and past president of the New Orleans Town Gardeners of the Garden Club of America, and an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church. She was a Red Cross Volunteer Nurses Aid and volunteer for the Air Warning Service in New Orleans identifying and tracking aircraft movements within the State during World War II. She was married to John Savier Mears in 1944, moved to Portland, Oregon and resided there until his death in 1961. She returned to New Orleans in 1963 and married Stewart Neale Collenberg in 1966. She is survived by sister, Marjorie Leverich Moran. Her children, Mary Frances Mears Gleason (Harvey), Arthur Maxwell Mears II (Janetanne), Elaine Toby Mogabgab (Paul) of New Orleans, and Michael Leverich Mears, Peter Leverich Mears and Thomas Savier Mears of Bellevue, Washington., Her grandchildren, John Gleason, Elaine Gleason, Edward Gleason, Laura Gleason Crawford, Elizabeth Mears Ehrensing, Brady Mears Cunningham, Philip Mears, Adam Mears, Owen Mogabgab, Blake Mogabgab, Elaine Claire Mogabgab Birdwell and step granddaughter Lee Carleton Collenberg and seventeen great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 1, 2016, at 10:30am at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave., New Orleans. Visitation in the church will be before services at 9:30am. A reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave., or a donation of your choice.