Lynn Leonard, mother, teacher, world traveler, and loyal friend passed away peacefully at her home in Pocatello, Idaho on September 16, 2015. She was 73. Lynn will be remembered for her legendary sense of humor and contagious laugh. But above all, she was generous towards those in need, and worked diligently for organizations and causes she believed in. Born in Denver, Colorado to Emily Louise Delo and John Joseph Leonard, on May 30, 1942, Lynn and her family moved frequently, which instilled an appreciation for exploration, and an insatiable curiosity about the world. In 1964, she graduated with degrees in Theater, English and Philosophy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Upon graduation, Lynn joined the United Service Organization’s (USO) Theater Troupe, and visited bases around the world, including Reykjavík, Iceland. Not wanting to return to the United States immediately after her USO tour, Lynn boarded a freight ship to Norway and accepted a fellowship to study at the University of Oslo. Afterward, she taught English in Madrid, Spain, studied at the University of London, and hitchhiked through Europe. She relocated to Ibadan, Nigeria in 1965, and became the first person to receive a Master’s Degree at the newly formed University of Ibadan School of Drama. After the onset of Biafra Civil War in 1969, Lynn left Nigeria and returned to Carbondale to begin her doctoral studies in Speech Communication. In Carbondale, Lynn met Larry Soldati, and they began their lives together. Lynn’s first teaching position was at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina, where she started the theater program. Later, Lynn and Larry moved to Denver, Colorado where Lynn became the director of an adult continuing education program. Lynn and Larry welcomed their only child, Laura, in 1978. In 1986, Lynn and Larry moved to Pocatello, Idaho, which Lynn called “home” for the rest of her life. At Idaho State University (ISU), Lynn designed a new non-credit and conferencing unit for the Office of Continuing Education. She became a driving force behind 400 offerings throughout southeastern Idaho, including the ISU Children's Chorus, Summer Music Camp, and a revival of the Foreign Language Fair. Lynn was asked to create a program for non-native speakers of English, allowing Pocatello to open its doors to thousands of students from around the world. In the years before and after her retirement, she taught in Costa Rica, Beijing and Ningbo, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Chile. A life-long Unitarian Universalist, Lynn helped create the Unitarian Fellowship of Pocatello. She was an active board member of Westside Players Dinner Theater, the Pocatello Free Clinic, and other community service organizations. Of all her achievements, Lynn’s greatest joys and proudest accomplishments involved the cultivation of deep, lasting friendships, as well as supporting her students in the realization of their ambitions and dreams. Lynn is survived by her daughter, Laura Dehlia Soldati, her life partner, Larry Soldati, her sister, Janet Leonard of Pennsylvania, and many beloved friends and adopted family. A memorial service will be held in spring 2016. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Westside Players Dinner Theater, the Unitarian Fellowship of Pocatello, or the Pocatello Free Clinic. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cornelison Funeral Home, 431 N. 15th Ave., Pocatello, 232-0542. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.cornelisonfh.com