Louise E. Leslie

Mrs. Louise E. Leslie, nee Canty, passed away on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, New York. She was 74 years old.

Lively, bold, and courageous to the end, Louise was born and raised in Harlem, New York and came of age in the civil rights era. She lived in New York City and Queens prior to moving with her husband and children to Montclair, New Jersey, 38 years ago. She was a person who loved people, especially her family, and life fiercely, constantly seeking joy and new experiences in the world around her and expecting the best of those she held dear.

She had a reverence for education as a cornerstone of a successful life and strove to assist students and truly, any child in her sphere, to go further than even they imagined. After graduating with a BA in English from SUNY Binghamton (where she met the love of her life, James), she worked in the Guidance Department of Montclair High School for 15 years prior to joining the Teaneck Board of Education as an Administrative Assistant for 12 years. She loved meticulously helping students prepare for college and supporting them in their higher education journeys while at Montclair High School. She was passionate about providing vital resources and support for Special Services students and their families at Teaneck schools. She had a can-do attitude and a fighting spirit for the students she worked for and truly enjoyed being a positive resource.

Louise and James met in college and over their five decades long marriage, were also pioneering Many Treasures members of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International (SGI). They used their faith as a way to challenge any limitations, providing a beautiful, warm and loving home for their family and helping many others to have breakthroughs in their own lives. A deep and loving bond between them carried them through life's challenges as an unstoppable team.

Her determined and loving spirit was also felt by her children and grandchildren, who knew they could rely on her for sound guidance. She worked tirelessly to provide a wonderful life for her family and helped them to do the same. Her drive and grit is reflected in her children as they excel in their respective careers and beyond with the next generation, all forever inspired by her spirit. She was incredibly proud of her children's success as a lawyer and pilot, teacher and artist, and business woman and entrepreneur.

Louise was predeceased by her parents, Joseph & Mary Canty, her brothers Richard and Joseph Canty and her sister, Jane Giles.

She is survived by her loving husband, James M. Leslie; their three children, Noel Leslie (and wife, Jhemika), Joslyn Johnson, and Iman C. Leslie Palmaro (and husband, Nicholas); her grandchildren, Nina Kristen-Louise Johnson, Noah Johnson, Aubrey Leslie and Austin Leslie; and her siblings, Winslow Canty, Eddie Canty.

A Celebration of Life Service will take place in the Chapel of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, 540 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY on Monday, August 15 at 10:30am, followed by a Natural Burial overlooking the Pocantico River.

A zoom room will open at 10:15 so that those who cannot attend in person will be able to observe and participate. To connect via Zoom please use (https://bit.ly/3SyGNEW)

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering or Planned Parenthood would be appreciated.

Condolences may be left at www.proutfuneralhome.com.