Joy M (Buckelew) Leach passed away on December 28, 2018 in Uniontown

Hospital Uniontown PA.  Joy was the wife of E. William (Bill) Leach for 56 years. She was born on January 27, 1936 in Easton ,PA and grew up in Allentown.  Her parents were Paul and Lucy (Ohl) Buckelew.

            Joy was a talented musician (Glockenspiel/piano), a soloist in the choir and she loved speaking Pennsylvania Dutch.

            She worked most of her life at Merck in West Point, PA where she was an officer of the grievance committee for the secretarial union. At Merck, she held positions in the research library and as a research receptionist for 35 years.

            In 1992, she became the first female supervisor in Marlborough TWP and helped lead the fight to preserve the pristine wilderness of Marlborough. As part of that fight, she successfully spent 6 years petitioning the DEP to upgrade and protect the Unami Creek watershed.  As a result, 76 square miles of watershed are now protected.

            Joy was a skilled artist and naturalist. She also designed a beautiful rock garden at their wilderness home amongst virgin timber and a historic creek. She had a wonderful life with only one regret.  Though a life-long republican, she didn't live long enough to see the despotic leader of our country, displaced.

            She was predeceased by her loving husband in 2017.

            She is survived by her beloved brother, Dr. Tom Buckelew of Uniontown, PA , his wife Chris, their children, Chelsea Thomas, Meghan Petrucci and Colin Buckelew and their children, Aidan Thomas and Leo and Ella Petrucci, grand-nieces and nephew: Tara, Diane, David, Timothy and James; her sister-in-law, Ceil Patterson and her Jamaican Goddaughter, Elesia Chin. She had numerous friends … Ellie Sandorf and many others.

            The services will be private and under the directions of the Thomas M. Dolfi Funeral Home.

            Any contributions may be sent to the Fayette County Historical Society, PO Box 193 Uniontown, PA 15401