Mary Lee Mooney Leach passed away at her home in Holdenville on Thursday, May 12, 2011, at the age of 80 years.

Mary was the daughter of Arnold Vernon Hope & Evelyn (Savage) Hope, born on November 30, 1930, at Barber, Arkansas. Her family moved when she was a young child to Wewoka, Oklahoma and then to Calvin, where she was brought up and attended schools. She was married to J. D. Mooney, and to this union was born two daughters and two sons: Carol, Sandy, Jimmy and Mike. Mary later married Harold Leach.

Mary's home has been Holdenville for most of her adult life, and she loved her home. She loved to laugh and to make other people laugh, and with her great sense of humor it was an easy thing for her to do. She had a gift for making life's burdens a little easier to bear by finding some kind of joy in every situation. She enjoyed crocheting and playing games. She liked to cook, especially when it was for a family gathering. Her favorite thing was to spend time with her family. They were the joy of her life.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Arnold & Evelyn Hope; her sister, June Dunn Elliott; her husband, J. D. Mooney; one great-grandson, Stormy Ryburn; two great-grandchildren, Anthony Michael and Bailey Hope.

She is survived by her husband, Harold Leach of Okemah; two daughters, Carol Jean Ryburn of Poteau, Oklahoma and Sandy Epperley and husband Bruce, of Holdenville; two sons, Jimmy Dale Mooney and Mike Mooney and wife Donna, all of Holdenville; nine grandchildren: Carol Lee Vise, Cliff Ryburn, Debbie Anderson, Brett Epperley, Marcy Mooney, Jeff Mooney, Crystal Mooney, Lace Mooney and Breanna Mooney; thirteen great grandchildren and eight great great grandchildren; various other relatives and a host of friends.

Funeral services will be Monday, May 16, 2011, 1:00 p.m. at Fisher Funeral Home's Lillye Chapel, and Mary will be laid to rest in the Holdenville Cemetery. Rev. Dane Robinson is the officiating minister. Pallbearers are Toad Waters, Lloyd Hunter, Jimmy Fernandez, Keith Byerly, Clyde Byerly and Tommy Kalinich. Honorary pallbearers are Larry Harris, Jack Babb and Gary Brinlee.