Nancy Phillips Leach, 93, of Blacksburg, died Friday, Aug. 30 while in hospice care at Kroontje Center, Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg.
She was born Sept. 19, 1930 in Washington, DC, the only child of Albert Jefferson Phillips and Ruth Hamby Phillips.
Nancy grew up in the Maryland and Washington, DC areas and went to the Washington, DC Quaker school for six years, graduating first in her class. She attended Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C., graduating with a Bachelor of Arts as a sociology major. She worked in her father’s insurance business prior to her marriage. After her marriage to Hugh Underwood “Woody” Leach on March 28, 1953, the couple lived in Germany where he was stationed in the US Army until 1955. They arrived in Blacksburg in 1958 after Woody completed divinity school at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond. Nancy worked as a secretary for Woody for five years prior to childrearing. In later years, she enjoyed working in clothing sales and volunteering in the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church preschool, the American Red Cross blood bank and visiting and supporting friends with illnesses. She was a member of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her adult son, Christopher “Chris” Underwood Leach of California, her granddaughter, Ashley Dowdy, and grandson, Joshua Michael Dowdy, both of Christiansburg, and her husband, Woody, of 64 years. She was also preceded by her brother-in-law, Neil Calvin Leach of Greensboro, N.C., and sister-in-law, Martha O’Neal Leach.
She is survived by two daughters: Sherill Leach Dowdy of Christiansburg and Susan Phillips Borenstein of North Chesterfield, Va; three grandchildren: Zachary, Elyse and Leah Borenstein; three great grandchildren: Mason, Max and Maddox Price; and one brother-in-law: Dan Blanchard Leach and wife, Genevieve, of Greensboro, N.C.
A graveside service with inurnment of cremains was held at Memorial Gardens of the New River Valley, 2551 N. Main St., Blacksburg Tuesday, Sept. 10 with the Rev. Steve Darr and the Rev. Dr. Sarah Wiles of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Blacksburg Presbyterian Church 701 Church Street SE, Blacksburg, VA 24060; UKirk Ministry at Virginia Tech (formerly called “Cooper House”) 305 Washington Street SW, Blacksburg, VA 24060; and Doctors Without Borders, www.doctorswithoutborders.org.
Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Drive SW, Blacksburg, VA 24060, 540-552-3211.
