The beautiful bright shining light of Leona May Mundy, née Hale, quietly faded as she passed at home, surrounded by loved ones, on September 30, 2026.

This feisty, independent matriarch was born on January 7th, 1940 to Clarence and May Hale in Belvidere, Illinois. Leona was beloved by many for her care, compassion, warmth, and humor. She had a passion for educating children and taught in northern Boone County for most of her life, impacting generations of families in the area as a teacher of 6th grade English and P.E. at Manchester Elementary School, a substitute teacher in countless classrooms, and as many children’s first introduction to the world of learning at Poplar Grove Preschool. Leona told her family that the time spent nurturing her three and four year olds were the most fulfilling years of her life. She was an active member of the Poplar Grove United Methodist Church and, with Steve, received the Good Neighbor Award from the Poplar Grove Lions Club. Throughout her life, Leona enjoyed cross-stitch and other crafts, reading, bird-watching, traveling, and planting flowers. She was a lifelong learner, and loved attending lectures about history and culture. She also enjoyed live theatre, and has passed this enthusiasm on to her grandchildren.

Leona will be deeply missed by her husband of 50 years, Steven Mundy, and her daughters, Kathryn (Mark) Larson and Elizabeth (David) Mundy-Hemmerich. She took so much joy in being Yaya to five grandchildren - Amelia and Garrett Larson, and Camden, Dean, and Milo Hemmerich. Leona was a loving sister to Virgil Hale and Doris Thomas, and she was a favorite aunt to many nieces and nephews. Leona was looking forward to a heavenly reunion with her parents, her sisters Alice Siders and Virginia Ross, her brother, Paul Hale, and other friends and family whom she loved dearly.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, October 7th, from 4 to 7 p.m., and also on Thursday, October 8th, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Poplar Grove United Methodist Church. A memorial service, private burial at Poplar Grove Cemetery, and luncheon will be held on Thursday, October 8th at the Poplar Grove United Methodist Church beginning at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Boone County Conservation District or Brightpoint’s Family Support programming.

https://www.bccdil.org/support/

https://www.brightpoint.org/

Leona’s family would also like to extend deep gratitude to the staff at OSF St. Anthony Hospital 4 West and OSF Hospice, as well as Home Instead caregivers for their compassionate care during this time. Many thanks also to those who proofread this obituary to ensure that there are no grammatical or punctuation errors, as this would have caused Leona much consternation.