Sally L. Leque

Sally Lorene (Neel, Stannik) Leque, age 88, passed away on December 20, 2023. Sally was born March 26, 1935 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Gladys Mellinger and Ross Neel. She attended Sacred Heart Academy of music, arts, and drama, and was the church organist at the young age of 13. In 1953 she graduated from Lancaster Catholic High School.

Sally married Robert M. Stannik while he was serving in the Marine Corps in Memphis, Tennessee. They were transferred to North Carolina where their son was born, later returning to Lancaster where she had their first daughter. Sally and Robert moved to California in 1958, where her next two daughters were born.

Sally volunteered for many organizations and was a very active mom and homemaker. She was president of multiple women’s bowling leagues, vice president of the PTA, March of Dimes chairman of San Bernardino County, then worked part time while attending Mt. San Antonio College earning an associate degree in respiratory therapy in 1972. She became a supervisor at the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena and went on to become board registered in 1974. The family moved to Bellingham in 1975 where she was appointed Chief of Respiratory Care at St. Joseph Hospital under Medical Director W.D. Jones, MD, until 1981. During that time, she set up an outpatient respiratory care program and introduced pulmonary blood gases and life support methods with a staff of exceptional registered therapists. Sally was instrumental in starting up the American Heart Association CPR classes. She instructed doctors, dentists, EMTs, hospital staff, and the public throughout the county for five years. She presided on the EMSC board and worked closely with Sister Catherine on fundraisers. Sally initiated the transporting of neonates via helicopter to Seattle on life support equipment and held therapy classes for asthmatic children using karate. She became an instructor at Bellingham Technical College, teaching classes on breathing and lifestyle techniques to emphysema patients and basic pulmonary therapy to nursing students. She was a spokesperson for the Washington Lung Association and was inducted into the Lung Association Hall of Fame in 1980.

In 1978, Sally married Neil M. Leque, and they retired from the medical field in 1981. Together they attended motel management school in LA. Sally went on to teach public relations and hospitality to future managers. She and Neil traveled across three states managing, opening, staffing, training, and troubleshooting motels for the next 10 years. Locally they managed the Coachman Inn, Pony Soldier, Park Motel, and the Acorn Inn in Oak Harbor. While there, she was president of the Island Lodging Association and active in the Whidbey Playhouse where she starred in “On Golden Pond.”

She activated a very successful Whatcom County Lodging Association, where she was president until 1994. She and Neil opened the Travelers Inn in Bellingham in 1988 and managed it until Neil’s death in 1991. Sally remained at that site while opening and managing the Travelers Inn in Port Angeles. During her lodging career she was awarded Manager of the Year seven times. In 1989 she was nominated for Professional Businessperson of the Year. She represented our city for the Visitor Bureau traveling through Alaska, arriving on the first Alaska ferry into Bellingham. She was on the consulting board for the Travel and Tourism Program at Bellingham Technical College for seven years.

In 1994, after 18 months of preparation, she was accepted into the Peace Corp at the age of 59 and was sent to Ecuador where she was placed in an infrastructure pilot program which was aborted within months.

She returned to Bellingham and went to work at the Bellingham Senior Center where she became the tour director for the Whatcom County Council on Aging Senior Tour Program. During this time, she traveled all over the world, escorting senior trips and training a tour board of a dozen escorts for day trips and overnight trips for the next 13 years. In 2003 she was nominated for Businesswoman of the Year. She retired in 2008 and was honored with the WCCOA Senior Services Award for Community Service.

Sally then went to work part time at the Kwik Stop for 3 fun years. She began oil painting, receiving first or second place awards for five years at the Lynden Fair. In 2019 she started volunteering for the Democratic Campaign Office until COVID closed it.

She loved travel, music, dancing — particularly to the musical memory of dear friend Jimmy Murphy — warmth, sunshine, many assorted crafts, and oil painting. She was an avid reader and a fan of many sports. She lived on her “Golden Pond” from 1996 and the door was open to everyone who wanted or needed to come in.

Sally is preceded in death by her beloved grandmother Edna Liller, mother Gladys Mellinger, brother Joel Bard, her adored Aunt Eddie, Uncle Melvin Mellinger, and never-forgotten friends. She was also preceded in death by her second husband Neil Leque, her first husband Robert Stannik, and companion Michael Spinale. Sally is survived by her four children Robert T. Stannik (wife Barbie), Sally Ann Beaven, Pamela Harmon (husband Tom), and Joelene Paul, her nine grandchildren Eric Castro, Sarah Beaven, Ira Beaven, Briana Wertz, Cullen Stannik, Alison, Benjamin, and John Harmon, and Dustin Paul, seven great-grandchildren Jasmin and Natileah Harmon, Cole and Ryder Beaven, Issac and Jovee Wirtz, and Mason Beaven-Beck, her dear cousins Larry and Claire, Greg and Rene, and Steve, all Mellingers, her cousin Wanda and niece Tracy, and all her wonderful friends (especially the gals).

“Hey kids, do what you want with this…. I know one thing for sure. I had a very exceptional life of ups and downs, and I am happy and content and so thankful for all the years. The happiest days of my life were the days raising you four beautiful children. Nothing can surpass those moments.”

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, January 16th at 11:00am at Westford Funeral Home, followed by a graveside service at Woodlawn Cemetery. Following the graveside service, a celebration of life will take place at Chihuahua Mexican Restaurant in Ferndale.