Leslie Letiecq O’Shea

Leslie Letiecq O’Shea passed away at her home in Austin, Texas on May 23, 2021 at
the age of 59.
Leslie was a lifelong learner and always put forth her best in whatever she did.
Leslie was a 1979 graduate with honors from Homer Senior High School in Homer, New
York and a member of National Honor Society. She graduated with honors (Magna Cum
Laude) earning a BA degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in
1983 and a MA degree with honors in Sociology with an emphasis in Conflict
Management in 1988. Leslie’s academic honors included earning the Val Fisher Award
(top Sociology student), Chancellor’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List and was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa. Leslie put her education to work in a variety of roles in Boulder before
moving to Austin, TX in 1990 to serve as the Programs Director of Center for Battered
Women. She held that position for several years before going to work for the City of
Austin. Leslie retired from the City of Austin in 2019 after 25 years, most recently
serving within the Austin Water Department as a Senior Business Process Consultant.
Leslie was very creative and had many hobbies. She was always eager to learn and
experience new things. In middle school, she and her friend Lisa Fuess (Ballard now)
created a school literary publication called The Busy Pen which incorporated entries
from other students. She taught herself to play the guitar and played to relax for many
years in her free time. She enjoyed the beach and being out on the water so she took a
sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands and earned her captain’s license there. Later she
learned how to assemble her own boat that she would take out on Lake Travis. Leslie
cherished spending time at home. She was a talented cook and enjoyed learning to
prepare new dishes. She enjoyed decorating her home and creating inviting garden
spaces in her backyard with water features and lots of lush, beautiful plants. More
recently, Leslie was learning all about candle making and having fun experimenting with
different types and scents.
Leslie adored her pets. She had a number of dogs over the years that were great
companions to her, most recently Riley and Fergus. Leslie took riding lessons learning
English dressage with her horse Scout. She continued to go and spend time with Scout
even after she could no longer ride.
Leslie is survived by her mother, Shirley Letiecq, her brother, Earl, two sisters, Lauren
Reighard, and Alyson McDonald, and her niece, Mia Gomez and several cousins. She
was preceded in death by her father, Philip.