Rosemary Helen Leach (nee Page). Born 1931 in Bombay, India to British banker William TA Page and Maude Irene Page (nee Burniston). Died January 4, 2020 after a stoic battle with cancer. She had one sibling, Arnold Christopher Page (aka “Chris”). Rosemary spent much of her childhood in India where she enjoyed riding her horse into the mountains of Kashmir to attend school, when she wasn’t in England attending boarding school. After leaving school, she traveled the world working as a purser on the Orient Line’s passenger ship SS Orcades.
She later worked in London, where she met and married Howard Arthur Leach in 1961; together they had two daughters, Sarah (Richard) and Tracy. The family moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1968. The marriage ended in 1974, but Rosemary and Howard remained friendly throughout their lives and shared in the raising of their children.
Rosemary was a caring mother who always put her children first. In 1972, she began working at UBC as a secretary for the Department of English, starting as an English 100 secretary and working her way up to Graduate Secretary. She formed lifelong friendships amongst colleagues and faculty, and was particularly adored by the students, many of whom remained in touch until her death. She was unfailingly helpful, a quality appreciated by anxious international students facing panic-inducing bureaucratic glitches. In 1996, she was awarded the UBC President’s Service Award for Excellence. She was also a beloved host mother and dear friend to numerous Homestay students from Japan.
Rosemary was a natural at gardening, and passers-by frequently stopped to admire the results of her labour. She loved to spend time in Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. She was an avid reader of news and fiction, a daily doer of crossword puzzles, and loved murder mysteries, classical music, wine, good food, cats, dogs, and family. Things she disliked intensely included British puddings, peanut butter, bureaucratic red tape, automated telephone trees, unnecessary noise, and vocal fry.
Rosemary was always close to her brother, Chris, and in an eerily coincidental turn of fate, she passed away three hours after he did after his own battle with cancer in England. She will be sorely missed by her family and many friends. A service and celebration of life will be held February 22nd,; for details, please email tracyleach1@gmail.com
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Vancouver Hospice Society, North Shore Search and Rescue, BC Cancer Agency, or a charity of your choice.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence for the family.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Rosemary Helen Leach January 4th 2020..
Death notice for the town of: Aldergrove, Province: Colombie britanique