Denise (Granke) Leslie

Denise Leslie was affectionately known as “Fluffy” to the North Coast Men’s Chorus with whom she spent her time and served as secretary and stage manager. She spent many years volunteering her time and passion with various community theatres in the Cleveland area.  She received her BA from University of Delaware and went to become a Registered Dietician in the state of Ohio at Southwest General Hospital and Lutheran hospitals where she worked until the age of 75. Along with work and the theatre, she managed to find the energy to give her time to her religious and charitable passions. She was a member and past president of Hope Lutheran Church in Cleveland Heights. She was also a Peace and Justice Ministry chairperson, a convener and co-chair of the Cleveland Chapter of Lutherans Concerned, which advocates within the church for LGBT people of faith and their families. She was a voting member of Northeast Ohio Synod Assembly, and member of Religious and Spiritual Leaders for Cleveland LGBT Center. Some other articles of note are recipient of the AIDS Taskforce 2006 “Voices against the Silence Award,” a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and organizer of Equal Exchange / Fair Trade Coffee Club of Cleveland Heights.   Denise, age 80, (nee Granke), loving mother of Brian Leslie (Beth) and Victoria Naples (Jeff), dear grandmother of Rhiannon, Whilla, Talis, and Keegan Leslie, Sara and Nathan Naples, sister of Arnold Granke, Jr. Memorial Service, Saturday, February 13 at 10 am at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 276 East Bagley Road, Berea, Ohio (wear your mask and keep social distance). IN LIEU OF FLOWERS  donations may be made to ReconcilingWorks, PO Box 8070 Saint Paul, MN, 55108 or https://www.reconcilingworks.org.

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