The Life of Emily Gibson Leech
Emily G Leech (May 15, 1940 – May 12, 2023) passed away in San Antonio, TX after a long illness. A Celebration of Life service is planned for May 27, 2023 at 11:00 am at St Andrew Presbyterian Church, 8231 Callaghan Rd, San Antonio, TX.
Emily Gibson was born in West Chester, PA. Her parents were Donald L. Gibson and Mary Goheen Gibson. She grew up in the Pittsburgh, PA area. Emily attended a year of college at the University of Pittsburgh. She and girlfriends moved to Boston, MA where she worked as a legal secretary at Boston Redevelopment Authority. In 1966, she met Ensign Geoff Leech. They married in September 1966. They lived for eighteen months in Pensacola, FL. After he served a year in Vietnam, Geoff and Emily started a family. Their son, Phil was born in 1970, and daughter Julie in 1977. Geoff and Emily lived at Navy bases in Florida, Virginia, and California. They also served two years at Naval Base, Subic Bay, Philippines. After Commander Leech retired from the Navy, in 1989 they moved from Orlando to Houston. In 2001 Emily and Geoff moved one last time to San Antonio.
Emily was deeply compassionate and concerned with helping vulnerable people and animals. Soon after arriving in San Antonio, she began volunteering at Animal Care Services, City of San Antonio. Later she became cat manager for Homes for Pets in Schertz, TX. She was Ambassador from her church, St Andrew, to Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services. She was also active in the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, assisting immigrants newly released from detention en route to other locations in the United States.
She is survived by her husband, Geoff Leech; son Phillip Andrew Leech and daughter-in-law, Ana Leech, MD, grandson Connor, granddaughter Kyra Leech, of Houston; daughter Julie Christine Nash, son-in-law, Kyle Nash, and grandsons Keith, Kaleb, and Kaden Nash of Fort Worth. Her brothers are, Donald L Gibson, Jr. and John W. Gibson, and sister-in-law Marge Gibson of Bridgeville, DE.
Emily will be interred in a private ceremony at Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, PA in August.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests if you wish to donate in her name please give to either PCHAS (Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services - San Antonio, www.pchas.org, or to Homes for Pets, Schertz , Texas, www.homesforpets.org.