Jane Lanning Leach, 74, of Southport North Carolina passed away peacefully on September 20, 2026, after a four-year struggle with adrenal cancer.

Jane was the daughter of James B. Lanning and Irene Mae (Holmes) Beierlein. She is survived by her Husband Robert H. Leach of Southport her sons Coiln R. Leach, of Oakland, California, Graham Leach of Culver City, California and her Grandchildren Julian, Vivian and Otis also of Culver city California. She was predeceased by her brother Stephen W. Lanning of Evansville, Indiana.

Jane was born at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville Indiana on September 26, 1951. She attended Oak Hill School and graduated from Harrison High School (class of 1969) and Indiana University where she majored in Psychology.

Jane met her husband Bob on a blind date in high school in 1968. They married on August 26,1972 and moved to Amherst Massachusetts where Bob attended Graduate school.  During her time in Amherst Jane worked at Greenfield Memorial Hospital and at several medical offices to support Bob’s graduate work.

After Graduation they moved to Connecticut where they lived for almost 40 years. First in Farmington and Simsbury, then in Canton where they built a house and raised their two sons. Jane taught kindergarten and nursery school for several years at Trinity Church in Canton.

Jane was a passionate artist and designer. She used those consummate skills to start an interior design business, “The Painted Lady”, in Collinsville where it operated for many years. The store employed various local artists and sold hand painted furniture and interior furnishings.

She also operated an art gallery for a short period of time. Jane used to say it was more of a museum. People looked a lot but didn’t buy much.

She loved New England and was inspired by the landscape and the beautiful climate. Especially the changing of the seasons, the rush of the Farmington River and the wonders of Cape Cod and its glorious beaches and dunes.

She was very active in the Canton Community. Founding the Town’s Annual Halloween Parade and Celebration and Sam Collins Day events which are still celebrated today. She also organized several musical productions for Canton High School while her boys were enrolled. She was well known in Canton. In fact, her husband, Bob, was known locally as “Mr.Jane Leach”.

During her time in Canton, she made many wonderful lifelong friends. She is still considered the ex-offcio leader of the Canton YaYa’s.

In 2013 Bob and Jane moved to Saint James North Carolina to begin their retirement. However, true to her Connecticut form, she immediately became involved in community efforts including Habitat for Humanities 50th house construction and fund raising, Brunswick County School tutoring and Matthews Ministries. She was a full participant in life and made many more wonderful friends in North Carolina

Jane loved to travel and was almost always planning another trip to Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America, Central America and most of the U. S.

She will be remembered as a great friend, wife and mother. She was brave in heart, strong in spirit, resilient and able to bounce back from the adversities she encountered on life’s roller coaster.

She often said, “Art is not the product it’s the process”. And so, it was with her life.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to PORCH Communities South Brunswick (porchcommunities.org/southbrunswick).

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date to be announced by her family.