October 26, 1951 – March 26, 2016
Stevensville – Leslie McGuire died peacefully at home from cancer on Saturday. Born and raised in Connecticut, she began her move West in 1981 and spent time in California before finding her home in the Bitterroot.
Leslie moved to Stevensville in the nineties and bought her dream ranch, worked as a paralegal to support her Navajo Churro sheep breeding program and to feed her free-range chickens. Meeting more friends than she could count over cartons of eggs, Leslie generously started a number of wannabe shepherds on the path to enlightened lambing. Her fleeces continue to be prized by the fiber community. She raised and trained her Border Collies and Zeva was faithful to the end.
Past VP and secretary of Friends of the North Valley Public Library, Leslie was also a long-time member of the Big Sky Fiber Arts Guild and helped run the Big Sky Fiber Arts Festival.
Sincere thanks are due Hospice of Missoula, Betty of G&G Caregivers, Brooke Murphy, Travis Hall, Suzanne Artley, Leann Brekke, Marty Walters and many more supportive friends who helped after the loss of Leslie’s husband Cal Henry in 2011 and throughout her illness.
Leslie is survived by her mother Barbara McGuire, brother T.J. (& Kerry) McGuire, and sister Patti (& John) Wenrich, all of Connecticut. She is also survived by 4 nephews, Christopher, Thomas, Kevin and Patrick and an aunt, Patricia McGuire in Scarsdale, NY.
Fiercely independent, Leslie lived her life her way and left it on her terms.
A Celebration of Leslie’s Life will be held in the future. Donations would be welcomed by the North Valley Public Library Foundation, 208 Main Street, Stevensville, MT 59870 or by Friends of the North Valley Public Library, also at 208 Main St., Stevensville, MT 59870 in memory of Leslie.