Kathleen Kolean Leshner, aged 60, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 after a determined 2 year battle with cancer.
She was born on January 22, 1964, in Holland, Michigan to John and Darlene Kolean. A 1982 graduate from West Ottawa High School, Kathy continued her education at Western Michigan University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in printing marketing in 1987.
Following her college graduation, she worked in Chicago at the Wall Street Journal where she met the love of her life, Murray. The two married on September 24, 1988, in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and eventually moved back to Holland where the two completed their family with the birth of their daughter, Alena.
Kathy joined her sister-in-law, Sarah (Madison) Kolean as an owner of Black River Framing in 1993, which later evolved into the business many locals knew as Uptown Gallery & Frame Shop. Kathy and Murray owned and operated the business side-by-side for many years. Kathy passionately served hundreds of clients over the course of 30 years, eventually forced to close in March 2023 about a year into her battle with cancer. Her many former clients and friends will miss her artistic eye and hours of amiable conversation while preserving treasured art and memorabilia.
Kathy was a loving, compassionate woman who opened her home to many young people, including exchange students and friends of her daughter, Alena. She is missed not only by her vast community locally, but by so many friends and family abroad. One of her great loves in life was traveling Europe with her favorite travel companion, Alena, as well as with Murray and Alena’s husband, Jake (Collaer). She especially loved spending time in the northern Alps of Italy and in Austria with dear friends met through study abroad programs.
Embodying a servant’s mentality, Kathy was a devout Methodist who spent her life making others feel loved and accepted, whether they were newcomers to Holland, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or simply a random person off the street. She was also an active philanthropist who supported many non-profit organizations over the course of her lifetime. Beginning with the adoption of her beloved morkie, Falco, in 2011 from Headin’ Home Pet Rescue, she and Murray continued to adopt exclusively rescue dogs. She was also an avid supporter of BestPals Animal Rescue and the Refresh Program organized by the First United Methodist Church in Holland to provide support to the local unhoused community.
Survivors include her husband Murray, their daughter Alena (Jake) Leshner Collaer, two beloved dogs Tanzi and Wolfi, brother Daniel (Sarah) Kolean, mother Darlene (Nynas) Kolean, niece Emily (Eric) Matych, nephew Charlie Kolean, and many cousins and other family members. She is preceded in death by her father, John Kolean.
A visitation and Celebration of Life will be held at 2 PM with the service beginning at 3 PM on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at the First United Methodist Church, 57 West 10th Street, Holland. Prior to Kathy’s passing, she requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to any of the following organizations in her name:
Headin’ Home Pet Rescue
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