Eva Leanne McElroy

September 6, 1968 - August 9, 2017

Eva Leanne McElroy, 48, of Safford, Arizona passed away at University Medical Center in Tucson on August 9, 2017 after a sudden cardiac event. Leanne was born in Yuma on September 6, 1968 to Louisa Caroline Kuschel and Lawrence L. McDonald, Jr.

She graduated from Kofa High School, where she was student body president. She was also elected governor of Girls’ State. She majored in Russian at Brigham Young University, then earned a masters’ degree in Russian studies at Georgetown University. Leanne worked for FEMA with disaster relief, for the State Department assisting with setting up free elections around the world, for Habitat for Humanity in Hungary and for a Lutheran service agency working with refugees.

She married Philip Carl McElroy, also of Yuma, in 1999, and their daughter Lydia was born in 2005. Their family also tenderly cared for Leanne’s mother until she died from Alzheimer’s. Leanne was the Safford City, Graham County Library Director at the time of her passing and was loved as an innovative and visionary leader in the community. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who loved her Savior Jesus Christ.

Leanne was preceded in death by her father in 1999 and her mother in 2012.

She is survived by her husband Philip Carl and daughter Lydia Marie and by her brothers William Wayne (Mary) McDonald of Douglas and Alan Kent (Abby) McDonald of Bisbee, her sister Laura Beth (Paul) David of Safford and many loving nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

The viewing will be Monday, August 14th from 2-3:45 p.m. at the Safford LDS Stake Center at 501 W. Catalina Dr., followed by the funeral service there at 4 p.m. Leanne will be interred in Cottonwood Cemetery on the family cattle ranch.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Friends of the Safford City, Graham County Library in memory of Leanne McElroy.

Arrangements are under the direction of MacDougal’s Caldwell Funeral Chapel & Gila Valley Crematory. Online condolences may be extended at www.caldwellfuneralchapel.com.

Please sign the guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/yumasun