Published in Winston-Salem Journal on May 2, 2010
Winston-Salem, NC

MOCKSVILLE - Mrs. Mary Louise Lakey Leagans, 96, formerly of 599
Wilkesboro Street, died Friday, April 30, 2010 at WFU Baptist Medical
Center in Winston-Salem. She was born in Farmington on April 29, 1914,
to the late Fred R. and Virginia Carrie Furches Lakey. She was a graduate
of Mocksville High School; attended Greensboro Women's College; and was
a member of First Baptist Church, Mocksville. Mrs. Leagans was a lover
of nature, an extraordinary flower arranger and garden landscaper. She
and her husband lived in Ithaca, NY for thirty years while he was a
professor at Cornell University. They traveled extensively for his work
and spent two years in India on assignment. While in India, she prepared
floral arrangements for a morning coffee for President Eisenhower's
daughter-in-law. She also entertained several ambassadors and was
responsible for coordinating housing for American families coming to
India for the Ford Foundation. She had been Vice President of the Junior
Women's Club of Raleigh; and a member of several Federated Garden Clubs
and their groups including a long membership in the PEO Sisterhood. In
addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband,
Dr. J. Paul Leagans; a daughter, Linda Louise Sutcliffe; two sisters,
Ruth Hilton and Joy Steelman; a brother, Isaac Buren Lakey, as well as
several loving nieces. "Mama Lou" as she is known by her grandchildren
and others, is survived by her sons, John Leagans, Jr. (Virginia)
of Mocksville and William Leagans (Mary Anne) of Elmhurst, Illinois;
a sister, Margaret McBride (Johnson) of Farmington; seven grandchildren;
and thirteen great-grandchildren. A Funeral Service will be conducted at
2 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, at First Baptist Church, Mocksville with Dr. Van
Lankford and Dr. David Gilbreath officiating. The body will be placed in
the Church thirty minutes prior to the Service. Interment will follow in
Eatons Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to
8 p.m. Monday, May 3, at Eaton Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials
may be made to J. Paul and Louise Leagans Endowment, Campus Box 7645,
NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 or to a charity of the donor's
choice. The family wishes to express their deep appreciation especially
to her attentive nieces, Mary (David) Hooper, Karen Lakey and Carolyn
McBride and to all of her loving caregivers at Davie Place during the past
two years. Online condolences may be made at www.eatonfuneral service.com.