CAROLYN JEAN LEACH

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Carolyn Jean Leach, 76, passed away on Monday, October 13, 2025, at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center.

A funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 20, 2025, at Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Pastor Aleese Kenitzer will officiate. Burial will be in Harker Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to New Era Lutheran Church. Online condolences: www.wittichfuneralhome.com.

Carolyn was born on November 5, 1948, in Waukegan, Illinois, the daughter of Richard and Esther (Christophersen) Leech. She married Richard ‘Dick’ Leach on June 27, 1971, in Zion, Illinois.

Carolyn’s professional life was dedicated to the education and development of students and leading, guiding and mentoring teachers and staff. Her education career began in 1970 as an elementary school teacher in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, following graduation from Carroll College. After moving to Muscatine in 1971, she taught at Montpelier Elementary School from 1973 to 1983 and at Washington Elementary School from 1983 to 1995.

From 1995 to 2002 she was the principal at Garfield Elementary School and she completed her 33-year career with the Muscatine Community School District as the principal at Mulberry Elementary School from 2002 to 2006.

Along with her classroom and principal duties, Carolyn always looked for additional ways to impact students and staff. She oversaw the Muscatine Community School’s preschool program and organized Kindergarten Roundup for 10 years.

After retirement in 2006, Carolyn and her family continued to support educational opportunities by hosting pre-school age classes to their farm for fall field trips. From 2006 to 2018 each fall around 700 students from Muscatine and surrounding school districts came to the farm for Carolyn’s story time, hayrack rides and fall games.

Carolyn was an active member of New Era Lutheran Church for more than 50 years. One of the ways she served the church and community was through preparing and organizing food and meals for church and community events, including the annual community play. Her food preparation skills and dessert making were learned while growing up in her family’s bakery business in Zion, Illinois.

Carolyn was an active member of Muscatine’s P.E.O. Chapter where she looked for ways to support women pursuing their educational goals. She also served as the Sweetland Township clerk helping to distribute funds to volunteer fire departments and ambulance services providing assistance to residents of Sweetland Township. She was also precinct captain for voting events at the New Era Community Building for many years.

Carolyn loved to travel with her husband, Dick. For more than 30 years, they took one and sometime two trips to visit all parts of the world. Her favorite type of vacation travel was a cruise ship and Carolyn had many favorite shops/restaurants at numerous Caribbean ports.

Carolyn loved her grandchildren and looked forward to attending their events. She enjoyed hosting Grandma Camp at the farm during the summer and passing on her baking skills through holiday baking parties. She included them in her travel journeys by organizing a family trip to Disney World in 2012 and an all-family cruise in 2018.

Carolyn was passionate about giving of herself to always help and support others through time, efforts and gifts. She worked very hard to ensure others had access to opportunities that would improve their lives. She ensured these values were instilled in her children and grandchildren.

Carolyn is survived by her husband, Dick Leach; children, Darin (Lori) Leach and Becky (Matthew) Bettis; grandchildren, Morgan Leach, Kayla Leach, Caleb Bettis, Hannah Bettis, Leah Bettis, Brody Bettis, and Theo Bettis; several nieces and nephews; and siblings, Nancy Shields, Ed Leech, Rhonda Johnson, and Rick Leech.

She is preceded in death by her parents.