The Autumn of Life

For as long as I remember, I've been death oriented, thinking perhaps I wouldn't be on terra firma for a long time. Even as a kid, I felt like a God spirit squeezed tightly, most uncomfortably, into a skin-and-bones container—a shell. 

After I read Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now (1997) followed by A New Earth (2005), I learned to embrace my body, to understand that body and spirit work in concert to create the person I am while down here on earth. It didn't happen all at once, but bit by bit. (Yes, Margery Williams's The Velveteen Rabbit.)

So here I am, older, wrinkled, and losing too many friends to their final breath—my best friend, Kathi, in May 2021, two weeks before her sixtieth birthday; my mom, 83, in September 2021; my husband's son Elliott, 36, in November 2021. 

More recently (2023), two dear friends left too—Marge in August, four days before she'd have turned 80; and Jim in September. As with Kathi, I met Jim when I moved to Colorado Springs in early 1985. Longtime friendships.

So I decided to finally finish writing my own obituary, an idea I conjured in 2010, when I thought, if an obit is written accurately and knowledgeably, a person needs to write his or her own. So here is my rough draft. Wish it were funnier, but I'll work on that later. As I'd say to my journalism professor, "Rip it apart."

Leigh Westin's obit

When asked what her mission in life was, Leigh would say, “Through my words and music, help people help themselves.” Along with connecting people with others, she encouraged the formation of many longtime friendships. Cooking, conversing, and serving people energized Leigh. She loved hosting parties, especially those playing music with and for the group.

Born in Wausau, Wisconsin, June 26, 1959, to Richard Sauer, a young, conservative banker, and Betty Effa, a lively spendthrift, Leigh’s morals and values were engendered by her Nana, Alice (Bergeron) Effa, who raised her during her first five years. 

Embracing the Midwest hard-work ethic, Leigh worked three jobs from ages six through 12 in Minnesota, including sales and raising Hereford and Charolais cattle, horses, and her brother, Toivo, a large black Lab. At age seven, Leigh started shooting a .22 rifle in their large gravel pit. After moving back to Wisconsin, her dad led her to shooting trap and skeet. One night he awakened her, saying, “Look at this,” holding up a trophy with a gold-sculpted male shooting a shotgun. “They thought a guy would win, but you did!” Leigh was 16; the several guys, 18 and 19.

Music, the best part of family life, led to her play piano and sing for others, something she continued throughout her life, whether solo, joining bands, or forming her own. She’d almost always have a song in her mind, which would frequently bubble out during her daily hikes in the park. 

As a broadcast journalist from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire (grad. May 1981), Leigh sold air time for Z-100 and was a midday on-air personality and jingle singer in the early 1980s. Cold weather in January 1985 pushed her southwest to Colorado Springs, where she went into sales and consulting to meet people and learn more about her new city while on the job. 

Within months, she started trophy-winning softball and volleyball teams, joined six organizations, including Win/Win that she headed for years, and served on Chamber of Commerce and School District 11 committees. She even helped pay her rent shooting pool.

Securing an all-encompassing management position in January 1989 with an Italy-based firm, SAES Getters, Leigh established a global marketing communications department, managing projects in research and development, international sciences, semiconductor manufacturing, and federally funded lab sectors. 

Still working for the firm part time in January 1997, Leigh transitioned into freelancing for more than two decades, continuing marketing communications, event planning, writing and editing for Olympic sports, book publishers, professors globally, ophthalmology professionals, and many others. 

Leigh was a Skyway region communicator for the Colorado Springs Police and Fire departments from 1997–[present], the community group coordinator for the Institute of Noetic Sciences for 22 years, a Skyway Association board member from 2011–[present], a Historic Neighborhoods Partnership board member, and Broadmoor Community Church Fellowship team member for more than a decade. 

She enjoyed being outdoors working, running, hiking, or gardening, almost any sport with a ball, waterskiing, chess, and socializing with friends and her wonderful church family.

She leaves behind many faithful friends.

We wonder, What song was Leigh singing when she left this earthly plane? She is finally free!

A service commemorating Leigh will be held at Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Ave., 2:30 p.m., Friday, [month day, 20xx]. Inurnment will be in the church’s Glen.