Frances Marie Leach

Frances Marie (Bloomer) Leach, 81, of Victoria, passed away January 9, 2015. She was born in Sherman, Texas on November 12, 1933 to the late Leon Henry and Frances Olivia Armstrong Bloomer. Frances attended St. Joseph’s Academy elementary school and graduated from Sherman High School in May 1951. She was a member of the National Honor Society, active in the Homemaking Club having served as an officer; she also sang in the choir, was a flag bearer in the band, and served as Drum Major her senior year. She was also voted Duchess of her Junior Class, and Princess of her senior class. During the summer, she worked as secretary for Knight’s Furniture Company before attending North Texas State College in Denton for one year. She then worked one and a half years as secretary to the Plant Superintendent of Texas Telephone Company in Sherman. On January 9, l954 she married her husband of 61 years. They lived in Monterey, California (Fort Ord Army Base) until her husband was sent overseas to Korea and then Hawaii. During that year, she worked in Sherman as secretary for Dunham Insurance Agency and Employers Finance Company. She also was secretary to the Mayor of Sherman after her boss was elected Mayor. Upon her husband’s release from the Army in the spring of 1955, they lived in Tyler and Harlingen. Her husband was with pro baseball teams during that time. In September 1955, they moved to Austin where she worked in the Registrar’s Office at the University of Texas while her husband attended UT. From 1956 through 1960, they lived in Austin during the fall semesters. Each spring and summer, they lived in Victoria, Des Moines, Iowa, Valentine, Nebraska and Ballinger, Texas while her husband played professional baseball. After her husband graduated UT-Austin in June 1960, they and their five and a half month old son, Mike, moved to Dallas, where they lived for five years while her husband taught and coached in the Dallas ISD. Their identical twin sons, Larry and Gary, were born while they lived in Dallas. They moved to Kingsville in the fall of 1965, lived there three years. Their son, Steven, was born in Kingsville. In summer 1968, they moved to Irving for three years. Their next move was to Beeville from August 1971 until January 1987. After their four sons were in school, she was a substitute teacher for three years, then worked for eight years as secretary at A. C. Jones High School in the Counselor’s Office. They lived in San Antonio from January 1987 through July 1989, where she worked as secretary for two vice-principals at Madison High School in the North East ISD. They returned to Beeville in July 1989 to care for her mother, “Bami.” During that time, she returned to work at the high school as an aide in the English Department for 11 English teachers. She and her husband both worked at The Victoria College and moved to Victoria in August 1994. She retired in January 1998 after eight and a half years as a secretary in the Fine Arts Department and Auditoriums Booking Agent. Her husband retired in May 2000. While working at VC, she resumed college classes and received her Associate of Applied Science Degree with Honors in May 1991. She was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church, a member of the Altar Society and served as Eucharist Minister. She was a homemaker and enjoyed playing bridge and bunko with friends. Among her greatest joys was rearing their four sons, attending their activities and those of her husband,

the love of her life. Family was foremost with her life and she enjoyed being with her sons, daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren and one great grandchild who were a special joy in her life. She is survived by her loving husband Robert "Bob" Guy Leach, Jr. of Victoria; sons, Michael Thomas “Mike” Leach and wife Lauren of Round Rock, Larry Don Leach and wife Shirley of Tomball, Gary Leon Leach of Austin and Steven Robert Leach and wife Kelley of Cedar Park; grandchildren, Michael Brendon and Benjamin Thomas of Round Rock, Amanda Mae, Garrett Timothy, Christen Frances, Elissa Anne of Tomball and Dylan Guy, Faith Danielle and Luke Walker of Cedar Park; and great grandchild, Coleman Harris Davidson. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Thomas “Tommy” Leon Bloomer. A rosary was held Monday, January 12, 2015 at 7:00 pm at Holy Family Catholic Church. A Funeral Mass was held Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at 10:00 am at Holy Family Catholic Church, Victoria, Texas. Mrs. Leach will be returning to her hometown at Waldo Funeral Home, Sherman, Texas on Thursday, January 15, 2015 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, a rosary will be recited at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at

St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Sherman, Texas. Pallbearers will be Harvey Kocian, John McQuillen, Monroe Rieger, Eddie Hughes, Scott Smejkal and Albert Janak. Honorary pallbearers will the Knights of Columbus Council 9088, Harry Hendricks, Robert Bloomer, James Blakey, Jerry Zavesky, George Wenzel, all her grandchildren and great grandchild. Memorial donations may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church Building Fund or donor’s choice.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.colonialfuneralhomevictoria.com