Janet Anne Leech
Obituary
Loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Janet passed away peacefully at Future Care-Annapolis on June 24th, 2026, five months after having a stroke. She was eighty-three years old.
Janet is survived by her husband, Sid; her three children, Jessica, Geoffrey and Ginger; five grandchildren, Zeb, Sequoia, Eli, Issy and Brinley; two Great Grandchildren, Indy and Parks; her sister Beverely Lee, her nieces and nephews, Jan, Kim, Brad and Tim, Tom, Susan, Hillary and Ariana.
She was born in Columbus, Georgia on April 21, 1943, to William Dowd Massey and Martha Nell Edmunds Massey. Janet was the second of three children. She shared an especially close bond with her older sister, Beverly. They spoke at least once a day throughout their lives and were best friends as much as sisters. Janet was also a loving older sister to her brother, Buddy,
who preceded her in death.
After graduating from Columbus High School in 1961, she worked in the insurance industry while attending the University of Georgia at Columbus. As a young woman she had a love of automobiles and purchased a new Robin-Egg blue 1961 MGA roadster with knock-off wire wheels. Janet was a gifted problem-solver with a mechanic's touch. She had an instinct for
understanding how things worked and could fix nearly anything she set her mind to.
In 1966, she migrated to the Washington, D.C. area. She was employed as a legal secretary at the FCC law firm of Daly & Joyce. She would make daily trips to the FCC to make filings and do research while a young law student was doing the same for a competing firm. That young law student ultimately obtained Janet’s phone number and a first date followed. Janet was living in an apartment in Arlington, Virginia and the young law student was living in an apartment in Hyattsville, Maryland. By the Fall of 1966, they were only dating each other and drove to Columbus, Georgia so that the Massey family could approve of the young law student, or not! Independent and adventurous, Janet loved road trips, and as the young law student quickly learned, she possessed quite the lead foot.
She walked fast, she talked fast and she chain-smoked unfiltered cigarettes and the young law student fell in love with her! Janet and Sid got engaged, and on August 19, 1967, they were married at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church. The reception was at The Explorer Restaurant on Rockville Pike, which was owned by Sid’s Grandfather, L. Gordon Leech. Their first year of marriage was shared at Springhill Lake Apartments in Greenbelt, Maryland.
As Sid passed the Maryland Bar Exam and began his career as an associate attorney with Semmes, Bowen & Semmes in Baltimore, the newlyweds were also beginning the next chapter of their lives together. Their first child, Jessica Lynne Leech, was born in Washington, D.C. in December of 1968. The young family purchased a townhouse in Baltimore's Bolton Hill neighborhood, where Janet ran a small daycare from their home.
In 1971, Janet and Sid welcomed their son, Geoffrey Gordon Leech. Outgrowing the townhome, they purchased a brick colonial in Roland Park with space for Janet's talents and passions to flourish. For almost three decades her love of decorating, entertaining and, first and foremost, mothering would fill the home with her indelible spirit. Shortly after moving into their new home, they welcomed their third child, Virginia Claire Leech—known to everyone as Ginger.
Though when married Janet stood just 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed only 96 pounds, she gave birth to three babies, each weighing more than 9 1⁄2 pounds. She was, in every sense of the phrase, tough as nails.
Janet was never intimidated and had limitless energy, enthusiasm and joy in running their home. We might find her at 3am in the basement ironing Sid's shirts and then making an elaborate pancake breakfast at 7am. She would make crafts and play with the kids all day and then host an elaborate dinner party serving never before tested recipes for a variety of gourmet dishes. She managed every aspect of her home and family with confidence and style. Janet’s attention to detail and planning skills made her an exceptional hostess. For more than 25 years, she orchestrated their annual New Year's Day party entertaining hundreds of guests.
She did all of these things with genuine joy.
Janet and Sid were fortunate to experience so much of the world together. Their firstinternational trip took them to Brazil in 1977. In 1982, they packed up their three children and spent a month touring the United States by car. Three years later, when Sid attended an ABA meeting in London, the family turned the trip into a month-long journey through England, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany. In 2000, Janet and Sid traveled to Africa on a wildlife safari, an adventure that remained one of her fondest memories. Over the years, Janet and Sid made more than 25 international trips and had countless domestic adventures creating memories that enriched their lives.
As her children became a little less dependent, Janet returned to work, first at The Children's Guild in Baltimore and later at the Renaissance Institute at the College of Notre Dame, where she served as administrative assistant to the director for nearly twenty years. Gifted at building relationships, Janet was the heart of the Institute, keeping everything organized, bringing people together, and making everyone feel welcome. The students she worked with held a special place in her heart.
Janet was curious, quick to learn, and loved a challenge. She learned tennis in her 30s, took up duckpin bowling while the family belonged to the L'Hirondelle Club in Ruxton, and later, after some misgivings from Sid and months of lessons, was bitten by the golf bug. She became an active member of the women's nine-hole group at the Gibson Island Club and competed in interclub matches. She enjoyed gathering with friends to play Canasta and Mexican Train. Janet also loved a good puzzle and almost always had one in progress. She had a sharp, strategic mind and enjoyed any game that called for skill, planning, and a little friendly competition.
Janet found joy in learning, exploring, and embracing new experiences. She was an avid reader and longtime member of the Ruxton Book Club. Although swimming never came naturally to her, she loved water skiing, spent 23 wonderful years sailing aboard Moondance with Sid, and enjoyed many adventures with the Gibson Island Yacht Squadron. A bit of a thrill seeker, she never met a roller coaster she didn't want to ride.
Janet found great joy in the wonders of nature. She loved flowers, nurtured countless plants, and was an active member of the Gibson Island Garden Club. She delighted in birds, butterflies, wildlife, and animals of every kind, and in recent years developed a particular fascination with octopuses.
Above all, Janet loved people. She never met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone, even on an escalator. Family always came first, but her kindness extended far beyond those she called her own. She was never judgmental, always ready to lend a hand, and cared for others without a second thought. Whether you were family, a lifelong friend, or someone she'd just met, Janet made you feel seen, welcomed, and loved. Selfless to a fault, she had the heart of a caregiver and the spirit of a mother to anyone who needed one.
The family will be holding a private celebration of life.
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What a lovely lady. When I became harbormaster, she was one of many people who welcomed me to my new position. She was always kind and very sweet when we talked.
When I started doing my harbormasters grills she would always call me and asked me, Denver, what can I bring to share at your cookout event. Anything you like. And she would show up never empty handed. She loved people!
I do hope that Sid, and the family manager this next chapter in their lives.
One thing you can bet on is that Momma is in charge. RIP my friend 💔 you will be missed
Good friends will always be in our hearts and minds !
-Tom
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