Leonda Jean Levchuk: Mother, Daughter, Sister, Public Relations Professional, Mentor to many and a loving, caring Friend to all who knew her. . She was a civil servant in the Departments of Health & Human Services and Interior, lastly as a senior public affairs specialist with the Bureau of Indian Education at the time of her passing.
Leonda worked for 18 years at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Washington, DC institute where she developed most of her passion for promoting education and American Indian culture. She also leaves her many co-workers and friends at the Indian Health Service in Rockville, MD, and around the Nation. Leonda is a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, alumnus with a Bachelors of Arts in Speech Communication.
She is co-founder of the Washington, DC Native Public Relations Roundtable. She holds awards and commendations for her works in public health, media, public relations, and health promotion. Leonda’s hobbies included reading celebrity biographies, Peruvian culture and crafts, and experiencing DC’s foodie scene.
Disney and social media lovers, Leonda with her daughter and best friend Ana Rose made frequent trips to Walt Disney World and Epcot, their favorite parks to visit over and over again. She loved sharing pictures of the food and drinks she was trying around the parks, and she could never collect enough Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears! Leonda radiated kindness and warmth.
She lit up the room with her bright personality, her beautiful laughter that made everyone laugh with her, and she created great memories with everyone who knew her. Leonda’s standing policy of “first on the dancefloor” made her the life of most every party. Leonda always knew how to include everyone into everything.
Her work bringing professionals in Indian Country to the attention of media outlets –American and international– showed her spirit of connecting people with people. Her recent volunteer activities include assisting with the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Leonda is survived by her daughter Ana Rose, mother and father Berenice and John, and brother Paul.
All funeral arrangements are private but in honor, memory, and appreciation of Leonda’s involvement in Indian education, the family requests that, donations can be made in her name to the Holbrook Indian School, Holbrook, Arizona. Donations made in honor of Leonda Levchuk by name will be applied at the family’s request to the girls’ leadership program, the healing with horses program, and the garden program (www. holbrookindianschool.org/donate).
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