Audrey Frances Leonard

HARRISON – Audrey Frances Leonard died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at home in Harrison. A Portland native, Audrey was born June 12, 1933, the fourth child of Florence Madeline Reddy and Frank Clayton Wood, and grew up on Tyng and Danforth streets.

She married her Portland High School sweetheart Ronald E. Leonard in 1952, a year after their high school graduation. Audrey gave birth to their first child while Ron was serving in Japan during the Korean Conflict. They were married for more than 62 years until Ron’s death in 2014.

Audrey and Ron took up skiing as young adults, building a camp near Sugarloaf where they and their children spent most winter weekends and school vacations. Both were active with the Sugarloaf Ski Club, which gave Audrey a lifetime membership, the Gleason Rand Award and, jointly with Ron, the President’s Award for service. The couple made many lifelong friends at Sugarloaf.

Audrey spent winters at the Citrus Park (later Bonita Terra) community in Bonita Springs, Fla., where she seldom missed her daily walk and swim. She was part of a close knit group that met regularly at the pool and gathered for birthdays and other special events. Audrey liked to sing and others invariably joined in, a tradition her snowbird friends plan to keep up in her honor.

To her grand and great-grandchildren Audrey was “Nana.” On Flagstaff Lake in Eustis, where Audrey and Ron retired in 1988, the extended family gathered on Thanksgiving, Christmas and many weekends. Audrey had a haddock chowder waiting for family arriving Friday night and often baked beans with kielbasa for Saturday. First order of business was hugs for Nana.

Few occasions passed without Audrey staging family photos. She kept a family history with journals and encouraged close ties among her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Although they lived on opposite coasts, until her sister Ruth Fugate’s death in 2024, the two remained close. Audrey enjoyed visits and correspondence with Ruth, her husband Ole, and their children, Dan (Tami), Donna (Jack) and Don (Brenda).

Audrey was also preceded in death by sisters, Patricia and Lorraine; brothers, Frank Jr. and Thomas; grandson Edward “Ned” Leonard; and nephews, David Fugate and David Ridlon. She is survived by her children, Ronald Leonard Jr., Susan Gadberry (Greg) and James Leonard (Caroline); former daughter-in-law Jane Fenderson Leonard; grandchildren, Jennifer and Ben Leonard, Jessica Alderman, Benjamin and Brian Gadberry, and Jesse, Lucy and Jane Leonard; great-grandchildren, Ethan and Evelyn Boardman; Danny, Kyle and Lily Alderman; and Elsie Leonard.

There will be no formal services at this time. The family would like to thank Andwell Hospice aides and nurses for their kind assistance over the past several months.