Leah Terese Ferdinandt-Mandery died early Monday morning, August 28th, of cancer.  A faithful Catholic and loving wife to her husband, Richard Mandery, Leah was deeply committed to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, daily mass, and her family.  She had an excellent sense of humor, an acute eye for color coordination, and a love for her grandchildren's activities.  She was a queen of propriety, an avid seamstress, and a devotee of old cars and the Minnesota Twins.

Leah was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota on June 20th, 1944, of William and Ann (Robischon) LeRoux.  She graduated from St. Cloud Cathedral high school in 1962, and then married Donald W. Ferdinandt (also of St. Cloud) on February 20th, 1965.  They moved to Byron, Minnesota in 1974, and Leah worked primarily in the Pharmacy at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester for 32 years.  After her husband, Don, died of a sudden heart attack in 2005, Leah was heartbroken, and she joined the Widowed Persons Service.  She found love again with Richard "Dick" Mandery, whom she married in 2008, and shared a beautiful life with him.

Leah is survived by her husband of almost 10 years, Richard T. Mandery, three daughters, Paula Rud, Kitsie Robinson & her husband Randy, and Andrea Karstens & her husband Eric; two sons, Kevin & his wife Carrie, and Nicholas and his wife Heloisa; thirteen grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; three sisters, Mary Weitzel & her husband John, Kathy and Pete Sufka, and Ginny Privette; two brothers, Tom LeRoux & his wife Judy, and John LeRoux; four step-children, Greg (Julie) Zierath, Tracy (Larry) Skogerbo, Jeanene (Kent) Gerlach, and Kris Rossman, 15 step-grandchildren, and 27 step-great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her first husband, Donald Ferdinandt; and her parents, William and Ann (Robischon) LeRoux.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, August 30th at Christ the King Catholic Church in Byron, Minnesota from 5-8 p.m. (with a Rosary beginning at 7:30 p.m.), and again prior to Mass from 10-11 a.m. on Thursday, August 31st, 2017.  A Mass of Christian Burial officiated by Reverend John Lasuba will be held for Leah on Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 11:00am at Christ the King Catholic Church.  Burial will be in Grandview Memorial Gardens.

Memorials are preferred to Christ the King Catholic Church.

Byron Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.  Online condolences are welcome at www.byronfuneralhome.com