Leslie Gannon, was a vibrant, creative, lover of life. She courageously followed her passions wherever they led, be it the rugged heights of Nepal or the bucolic Bitterroot Valley in Montana. She was a woman of many interests and talents; a voracious reader, a writer of poetry, songs, stage plays and musicals, a singer, performer, and sculptor. An original thinker, she strove to pursue a life of authenticity, true to her fiercely independent spirit. She was deeply loved.
Leslie was born on November 11, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois to Bernard and Mary Simunich. As a small girl she began her theatrical career dancing in a Russian folk troupe in the Wicker Park neighborhood. She was known as Chicago’s youngest expert dancer.
She graduated from Providence High School, class of 1949, where she was an accomplished orator.
Leslie then began her college years at Loyola University, concentrating on theater, where she acted in a number of theatrical productions.
She was married in 1952, and became the mother of five children, while living in Chicago and the Northwest suburbs. During that time, the house was often filled with the sound of Leslies’s singing and guitar strumming as she worked on an original musical. She went on to write and produce a dinner theater production, entitled Her-man, a big hit in the local area. Later, Leslie worked to renovate the Vic theater in Chicago and produced her musical, April Before You Know It.
After traveling through Nepal and India, Leslie moved to Seattle where she undertook the study of Buddhism, eventually joining the Chobo-ji temple, founded by Genki Takabayashi. There she became an ordained priest and received the name Genei, which means “Pure heart-mind with vast essence.” Leslie and Genki were later married at the temple.
Leslie and Genki moved to Montana, living in a small house in the lovely town of Victor. On their two acres, Leslie and Genki put great effort into their individual artistic endeavors, writing, potting, calligraphy, and creating a little Zen sanctuary for themselves and visitors.
Genki died in 2013. Leslie passed away on January 1, 2023 and will be buried by Genki’s side in the Victor cemetery. She is survived by her children, Liana, Elizabeth, Brian, Karen and Ruth, and her grandson, Nathan. The burial will be at 1:30, followed by a reception.