Leah Maughan Radcliffe

After a long and well-lived life, our mother, Leah Maughan Radcliffe, died on July 25, 2019, at age 96. Leah was born in Wellsville, Utah, to Veneda Leishman Maughan and Guy Leland Maughan.

After completing high school in Wellsville, Leah moved to Ogden, Utah, and worked as a telephone operator and a hotel elevator operator. She met William “Bill” Radcliffe there, when he was in the U.S. Army Air Corps; and they were married February 14, 1944. Upon Bill’s honorable discharge in 1945, they settled in Albany, California, where they raised two children, William Michael Radcliffe and Katherine Ann Radcliffe. Leah grew beautiful roses that lined the front walk of their home and started a life-long fascination with bearded iris. She was famous in the family for the best lemon merengue pie, made with lemons from their own tree. She took classes in home decorating, flower arrangement, and painting; and the family has many of her lovely paintings to remember her by. She remained a steadfast member of the Church of Latter-day Saints throughout her life, was active in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, as well as other church groups, and did an enormous amount of family genealogy research.

In 1951, Bill and Leah bought a tiny cabin on the Russian River, where they spent many idyllic summers. With good-natured fortitude, she faced down mice that wintered in her oven, garter snakes proudly displayed by her children, daddy-long-leg spiders that lurked in ceiling corners, banana slugs that browsed her fern garden, and blue jays that woke us too early. She learned to cook bullfrogs that Bill and Mike presented after night-time forays and did not banish the dog who chewed up her new bathing suit. Most afternoons, Leah could be found floating peacefully in the river on her yellow air mattress.

In 1990, Leah and Bill bought their dream house in Logan, Utah, where they flourished for over 20 years and where Leah expanded her iris collection. She loved decorating for all the holidays, especially Christmas, producing elegant Christmas trees every year. They made many new friends in Logan and enjoyed being close to her Utah family. They loved taking road trips into the Wasatch Mountains, to Bear Lake, Rainbow Gardens, and St. George.

As her health declined after Bill’s death in 2011, her children brought Leah back to California in 2015 to be near them and to care for her; she lived in Pleasant Hill, California, until her death. Leah was predeceased by her brother, Rex Maughan, and stepbrother, Calvin Glenn. She is survived by her brothers, Garrie (Dolores), Arol (Marian), and Paul (Myrna) Maughan; stepsister, Beth Nyman; sister-in-law Shirleen Maughan; children, Mike (Linda) Radcliffe of Pinole, CA; Katherine Radcliffe of Santa Rosa, CA; and grandchildren, Kelli Radcliffe of Pinole, CA, and James Radcliffe of Seattle, WA.

Leah will be buried in Wellsville Cemetery next to her beloved Bill, together again.

Family and friends are invited to attend her graveside service at Wellsville Cemetery (Block 18, Lot 25), on August 15, 2019, at 10:00 am. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.allenmortuaries.com