Leona Lillian McQueen, age 62, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 11th.

Born August 16, 1951, in Osaka, Japan, she lived in Panama and Texas as a child, later settling in the Pacific Northwest.

She worked as a business owner, and project manager until retiring in 2010. Leona was a lover of literature, an accomplished chef and a lifelong gardener and shared those lifelong passions with so many others with unbound generosity. Leona was a genuine gift, a pure, benevolent, and indelible presence to all who knew her and she achieved what most of us only aspire to do; she truly made the world a better place and her radiant warmth and beauty will be immeasurably missed and never forgotten.

Survivors include her husband Todd Kowalski, her daughter Amy Skaar, her son Erik Skaar, her mother Lillian Gibson, her sister Lena Negley, her brother John McQueen and her sister Jennifer Pray, .

A Celebration of Life will be held from 2 to 5pm, Sunday, November 17th at the Bainbridge Commons, 402 Bjune Drive, Bainbridge Island. Relatives and friends are welcome at the Celebration.

Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers are welcome and should be made to Breast Cancer Action, 55 New Montgomery St., Ste 323, San Francisco, CA 94105.