Leona May King

Leona May King, age 94, passed away on Monday, June 28, 2021, at Otterbein Lebanon SeniorLife Community in Lebanon, OH. She was born on May 13, 1927, in Allentown, PA, to Russell Gold King and Florence May King (nee Deibler), both deceased. She was married in 1947 to Reverend Newell John Wert (deceased) and is survived by their daughter Susan Elizabeth Wert and her husband James Ray Mossman of Liberty Twp., OH.

Leona was preceded in death by her daughter, Libbie Louise Wert; her son, Newell John Wert, Jr.; a younger brother, Russell Gold King, Jr., and his wife Lois Barnhart King of Berwyn, PA; and cousins Richard Kocher and wife Barbara and Nancy Kocher Onuscho and husband John, all of Allentown, PA. She is survived by her cousins Linda Schaffer Bell and husband David of Montgomery, TX, and Robert Kocher and wife Loretta of Allentown, PA; by nieces Cheryl King Taylor and husband John of Elverson, PA, Laurie King Graham and husband John of Pottstown, PA; nephews David L. King of Lake Worth, FL, and Jeffrey King and wife Susanna of San Diego, CA; as well as their children and grandchildren.

Leona grew up in Allentown, PA, and had many happy memories of her childhood, including vacations with her family at Mountain Lake and Ocean City, NJ; attending family reunions at the Allentown Rose Gardens; and camping with the Girl Scouts in the Poconos. Leona attended Raub Junior High School, and graduated from William Allen High School in 1945, where she was a member of the synchronized swim team.

In 1954, Leona moved with her husband and young family to Westerville, OH, and then to Dayton, OH. During this time, she served as a board member of the Jefferson Elementary School P.T.A, Homemaker's Services, and Robinwood Farm for Boys, and was active in the Camp Fire Girls, Parkside Homes Church School, and several after school tutoring programs. From 1968 to 1969, she worked as a Program Coordinator for MALACHI, a lay education institute focused on solutions to social problems, such as quality education, racism, mass media, political power and church renewal. In 1973, she worked as a regional coordinator and lobbyist for the Washington Office on Africa in Washington, D.C.

Leona attended Wright State University in Dayton, OH, graduating Cum Laude in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education, majoring in social studies and political science with a minor in library science. After college, Leona worked for the City of Dayton from 1973 to 1985 as Program Coordinator for the Fair River Oaks Council Office of Neighborhood Affairs, earning the City of Dayton's, "Manager's Top Flight Award" in 1985. From 1986 to 1995, she worked as Assistant Director for the Montgomery County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Family Support Services, managing residential housing services for individuals with disabilities. During this time, she was a trustee for the Ohio Supported Living Association, as well as a member of the Northwest Priority Board, the League of Women's Voters, the Dayton View Coalition and Neighborhood Stabilization Committee, the Congregation for Reconciliation, and the Social Worker's Guild. She also participated in many workshops focused on community organization and women's issues.

After retiring, Leona moved to Lebanon, OH, where she lived from 1997 to 2018. During this time, she was a member of the Warren County Democratic Party, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, and two area book clubs, where she made many close friends. She was devoted to her son, Newell, who suffered a brain stem stroke in the early 2000's, and supervised his care in a local nursing home until his death in 2016. Together they watched many Ohio State and Cincinnati Bengals football games.

In addition to football, Leona loved reading, writing, poetry, Scrabble, gardening, bird watching, traveling, camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, photographing nature, her favorite impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh, and movies at The Neon Cinema with friends. She raised and showed several championship dogs, including her beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Robbi. In her 70's, she realized a life-long dream when she leased an old fishing cabin on Upper Saranac Lake in upstate New York. She spent many happy summers there, hiking and boating with family and friends in the Adirondack Mountains.

In lieu of a public funeral, a celebration of life will be held at a later date (TBA). Leona's ashes will be laid to rest along with her son's at Greenwood Cemetery in Allentown, PA, next to her mother and father.