Valerie Leonard

Valerie Leonard, 68, of Cottonwood died August 26, 2014 after a losing battle with cancer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1945, the daughter of Louis and Prudence Lodestro. She moved to Arizona in 1957, graduated from Scottsdale H.S. and attended ASU. Val was an accomplished hair stylist in Arizona and Hawaii for 25 years and a member of the AZ Watercolor Association and a productive member/fundraiser for the AZ Artist Guild and the Albuquerque Junior League. She volunteered at homeless shelters in Albuquerque, all Catholic Churches she attended and St. Joseph\u0027s Catholic School in Cottonwood. She was an active member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic parish in a variety of capacities, including Parish Council Chair. She loved to dance, and was so good, she even made her husband look good when he wasn\u0027t. She will be missed by many but her spirit will remain forever. Survivors include her husband of 47 years Jeff Leonard, her brother Jeff Lodestro of Fountain Hills, AZ; her daughter, Tracy Bryant of Mesa, AZ; her son, Jason Leonard of Phoenix, AZ; her step daughter, Elsa Escedy of Wailuku, HI and ten beautiful grandchildren. Visitation will be held Sunday, August 31 at Westcott Funeral Home, 1013 E. Mingus Ave., Cottonwood from 4-6 P.M. The rosary will be recited at 5 P.M. A funeral mass will be held Monday, September 1 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 700 N. Bill Gray Road, Cottonwood at 11 A.M. A private family interment will take place at Paradise Gardens Cemetery in Scottsdale, AZ. Donations in her memory may be made to Hospice of the Pines, 13175 Arizona 169, Dewey, AZ 86327. An online guestbook is available to sign at www.westcottfuneralhome.com