Deiedre Leisure
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Deiedre Jane Leisure, 61, of Tempe, AZ passed away from Covid-19 complications on December 17, 2020. She was born on September 22, 1959 in Brookings, SD to Orie and Jody (Cooley) Leisure. She attended elementary, middle, and high school in Brookings and graduated in 1977.
She graduate with a BS from South Dakota State University. She began a pursuit of an advanced degree at Arizona State University but became disabled while there. She lived in Rapid City, SD for a short time to be closer to family but chose to move back to Tempe for the warm, dry weather and the better public transportation for wheelchair bound persons.
Deiedre was characterized by friends and family as amazing, smart, funny, artistic, talented, and stubbornly independent. She was very active in voice and handbell choirs at First Lutheran Church while in Brookings and later at the King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe. She traveled with youth choirs in the United States and also overseas to Israel, Egypt, and South America.
She was a gifted artist and craftsperson. Several of her paintings and drawings are proudly displayed in the homes of family and friends. Her latest works were drawings of homeless, refugee children which are exceptional. Friends and family members have plans to make prints available for sale. Deiedre crafted dolls, figurines, and other artifacts for family and friends. One notable example were 3D prehistoric skull replicas she made for her anthropology professor for use in lecture demonstrations.
Survivors include her father Orie, brothers Derek (Nancy) Leisure of Bruce, SD, and Tom (Jill) Leisure of Clear Lake, IA ; sister Brita (Jeff) Huisken of Rapid City, SD; nieces Rachel Paulson, Brooke Leisure, Mallory Leisure, and Madison Leisure; nephews Seth Patterson, Trent Huisken, and Ryan Leisure; aunts Colleen Lipelt, Janice Olson, and Kim Schmahl; thirteen cousins, and many other relatives in the extended family.
She was preceded in death by her beloved mother Jody; her grandparents Hugh and Adella Cooley and Ralph and Delores Leisure; a brother William; an uncle Gene Cooley; an aunt Barbara Serrin; and cousins Lynn Ostrander and Kevin Hamilton.
Memorial services will be held at 4:00pm, April 24, 2021 at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings. The service will also be live-streamed on the Eidsness Funeral Home website. Wearing of masks is encourage during the memorial service.