Joanne Leach OBITUARY

Joanne Leach OBITUARY

Joanne Leach died in the early morning of January 18, 2026 following 90 years devoted to her family. She will be remembered for being a great cook, pie baker and hostess of innumerable family dinners, celebrations and holidays; her attention to detail and organizational skills; her love of sports including baseball, football, tennis and golf; and her talent as a pianist who could play all styles of music but truly excelled at playing Broadway and ragtime.

She was born in 1935 to Joseph Marshall Thorp and Ida Catherine Renz Thorp joining older brothers Robert “Bob” Thorp and Edwin “Bud” Thorp. She grew up on the family’s ranch on Walnut Avenue in Greenfield which was then an apricot orchard. She and her brothers helped out in the orchard picking, cutting and drying the cots and playing on the ‘pit pile.’

She attended Greenfield Elementary School and skipped first grade because she had already learned the subject matter from doing her older brothers’ homework. She took piano lessons from a very early age and performed in many recitals and as an accompanist to other musicians.

Joanne attended King City High School where she was a catcher on the softball team and had the nickname of “Yogi.” She graduated in 1952 on a Friday and by Monday, she had moved to Salinas to start her career as a secretary in the law offices of her maternal uncle, James Walker.

Joanne had a long career as a secretary and executive assistant working for various local employers such as Pringle Tractor, Bruce Church, Fort Ord, Salinas Union High School District and National Refractories & Minerals. She worked her entire life except for periods in which she was taking care of her father or raising her children and grandchildren.

Joanne married Elmer Pura of Gonzales and became a mother when Tracy was born in 1961. In 1964, she married E. “Jim” Leach, became stepmother to his four children, Margaret, Sarah, John and Peter, and had two more children, Patrick and Anne. Jim and Joanne had a blended family of seven children, with an age range of 20 years and the belief that the half siblings would ’round up’ to full siblings which came to fruition.

Joanne believed in community service, supporting her children’s activities and having fun. She was involved with Native Daughters of the Golden West, the Danish Lodge, the Youth Science Center, Monterey County Symphony Guild, Monterey County Lawyer’s Wives (insert eyeroll by Anne), 4-H, Campfire Girls, Salinas Flippers Gymnastics Club, the Entre Nous Society, Valley Guild, PTA, and a raucous group of outdoorsy revelers known as the River Rats who for over 50 years took an annual rafting, hiking or horseback riding trip.

Family always came first for Joanne. She cooked for her father and brothers following her mother’s death when Joanne was 12 and she cared for her father prior to his death. She was devoted to her children and assumed solo parental responsibilities for them when they were 17, 12 and 11. In addition, at age 60, when the need arose to raise three of her grandchildren, Matt, Danny and Leslie, who were ages 6, 5 and 3, she agreed to team up with Anne. They formed a multi-generational household in which she cooked every meal and transported the kids to school, sports, music lessons, etc. and Anne focused on her career to support this new family.

She was predeceased by her parents, Joe and Ida Thorp, her brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Frances Thorp, stepson Peter Leach and son-in-law Edward Zabrycki. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Bud and Diane Thorp; her children Tracy Leach, Patrick Leach (Tracy) and Anne Leach; her stepchildren Margaret Zabrycki, Sarah Van Houten (Greg) and John Leach (Patti); her grandchildren Matt Leach (Eliza Hernandez), Danny Leach, Leslie Leach, James Leach, Bennett Leach and Adam Leach; her step-grandchildren Tim Zabrycki (Mary Kaye), Carolyn Malinsky (Jason), Michael Van Houten (Kris), Katie Hufft (Brian), Michael Leach (Amber), Kelly Geller (Mickey); her great-grandson Matthew Leach II; her step-great-grandchildren, Dylan, Bennett, Andrew, Clara, Edie, Adam, Aiden, and Isla; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial donations can be made to the Anne C. Leach Scholarship or Building for Recovery Fund at Sun Street Centers, the Entre Nous Society or the donor’s favorite charity.

A memorial mass and celebration of life will be held on Friday, February 20th, 2026 at 3:15 at the Palma School Chapel at 919 Iverson Street, Salinas California with reception to follow at the Brother Dunne Hall.