Leslie Preston

1966 - 2018

Leslie Trude Preston

February 14, 1966 - February 8, 2018

Leslie Trude Preston, 51, passed away on February 8th at her home in Berkeley, California after a battle with cancer. She died peacefully, surrounded by family.

Leslie was a Valentine's baby, born on February 14, 1966 in New York City. She was the second child of Kenneth and Linda Preston. Leslie attended Columbia Grammar and Prep School, graduated from Bowdoin College, and earned an MSW from the Smith College School for Social Work.

Leslie dedicated her life to serving others. She started her career as a case manager for a foster care agency in Brooklyn. After receiving her MSW, she led a mobile crisis program and suicide prevention hotline in Phoenix. She moved to the Bay Area in 1998 to be closer to family and soon began her 19 year tenure with La Clinica de la Raza, a nonprofit community health center headquartered in Oakland. Leslie served as the Director of Behavioral Health, working tirelessly to oversee programs that provided critical prevention and treatment services for thousands of vulnerable East Bay residents.

In 2016, the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees honored Leslie with a Common Good Award in recognition of her "extraordinary, profound and sustained commitment to the common good, in the interest of society, with conspicuous disregard for personal gain."

In addition to her professional work, Leslie served on the Board of Directors of the Women's Cancer Resource Center and was an active member of the Berkeley Friends Meeting.

Leslie loved swimming, gardening, traveling, spending time with family and friends, seeing Broadway musicals, and caring for her cat, Tasmin. Her friends all describe her as unflinchingly loyal, principled and generous.

Leslie was predeceased by her mother, Linda Rothchild Preston. She is survived by her father, Kenneth, and brothers Alan and Dean. She will be remembered with great affection by her nephew, Janak, and nieces, Skye, Kira, Hannah and Elizabeth.

A public memorial service to honor Leslie and celebrate her life will be held on April 7th, 2018 at 2:00PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, located at 1 Lawson Rd, Kensington, CA 94707. Memorial donations may be made to the Women's Cancer Resource Center, 2908 Ellsworth St, Berkeley, CA 94609, www.wcrc.org.