Toni Leatham

My Life Story Toni passed away at her home after a long illness. She is survived by her mother, Betty Leatham (Boise, ID), sisters: Robbie (Boise, ID), Kim (Bainbridge Island, WA), Susie (Ashburn, VA), and brother, Miguel (Ft. Worth, TX). She is also survived by half siblings: Anthony Lynn, Karl, Eileen, MaryAnn, James, John, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by our father, Linden, in 2007, and two half brothers, Norman and Mark. Toni grew up in the North End of Boise, across the street from Elm Grove Park, where she spent a childhood of outdoor fun. She attended Lowell Elementary and spent summers at Lowell pool. She attended North Junior High School, Boise High School, and Boise State University. She worked as a respiratory therapist for many years, before going on to teach middle school where she shared with her pupils her passion for poetry and creative writing. She loved drawing, and earlier in her life she was a talented seamstress, a gourmet cook, and a marathon runner. Music played an important role in her life from an early age. She played piano, guitar, and clarinet, and sang with church choirs. One of her grandest ventures was building a house in Garden Valley. In her mid-life, she enjoyed walking and running with her dog, Chukkar, whom she loved fiercely. She bicycled across France and Switzerland, and enjoyed backpacking in the Sawtooth Mountains. She resided most of her life in the North End, always enthralled with its huge trees and the fall leaves on the ground. Toni had a very compassionate heart for all beings and creatures. She participated in a couple of Women’s Walks to Emmaus as a member of the Methodist congregation, and more recently found her spiritual solace in the Catholic Church. We, her family, remember her as a deeply spiritual person who was sensitive to the harshness of life and humanity, and struggled to bridge those two worlds. A viewing will be held for friends and family on Friday, October 20, 2017 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Accent Funeral Home, 1303 N. Main St., Meridian. A graveside service will be on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 12:00 PM at Dry Creek Cemetery, Boise, where her father already rests. Remembrances may be left for the family at www.AccentFuneral.com. Services are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home, Meridian.