Leslie Preiss Yardley

Leslie Preiss Yardley, 70, of New Bern, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday, July 10, 2025. She was born on August 7, 1954, in Miami, Florida. She is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Richard Yardley; her daughter-in-law Kelsey Yardley of Roanoke, Virginia; her son Michael Yardley and daughter-in-law Erica Yardley of Richmond, Virginia; eight grandchildren, Wynn, Sidney, Hollis, Ezra, Noelle, Abigail, Charlotte, and Noah; her mother, Betty Jo Preiss of Savannah, Georgia; and four siblings, Lester Preiss, Raymond Preiss, Brian Preiss, and Bruce Preiss. She is preceded in death by her son, Daniel Yardley; her father, Lester Preiss; and her brother, Larry Preiss.

Leslie's journey began in Miami, Florida, where she spent her younger years riding horses at her grandparents' riding academy and later graduated from North Miami High School. Her love for caregiving and service led her to Atlanta, Georgia, where she enrolled at Georgia Baptist School of Nursing and met and married Richard, the love of her life.

Richard's work took them to Maury City, Tennessee, where Leslie continued her education and completed her LPN. She began her nursing career in Montgomery, Alabama, serving in an assisted living facility. In Marietta, Georgia, she helped found and operate Lactor Incorporated, an industrial textile company that provided for more than 1,600 nursing homes, hospitals, and hotels. While there, she was deeply involved in her church, Holy Trinity Lutheran, where she managed and digitized all membership records, oversaw and ran the nursery ministry, and welcomed new members by coordinating newcomer breakfasts, including preparing the meals and handling all logistics.

After moving to Washington, D.C., Leslie began working for an orthopedic surgery group and worked her way up to become a Charge Nurse on the Orthopedic Surgery Recovery Floor. Her compassion and dedication made her a favorite of both doctors and patients. After several decades of nursing, Leslie chose to stay home with her two sons, embracing a new season of life with the same care and commitment she brought to her career.

Eventually, she shifted her energy toward her culinary dreams. That journey led her to become the garde-manger chef at the renowned Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, where she brought the same precision and creativity to the kitchen that she once brought to the recovery floor.

In retirement, Leslie and Richard moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and later to Georgetown, Kentucky, where Richard returned to work. Eventually, they settled in New Bern, North Carolina, where they retired once again to be near family and enjoyed the slower rhythm of coastal life.

Leslie filled her life with beauty: incredible gardens that flourished under her care, amazing meals made from scratch, and a spirit of adventure that took her and Richard across the globe.

Her grandchildren knew her as the kind of grandmother who was both endlessly loving and astonishingly capable, someone who could fix anything she set her mind to.

Resilient, nurturing, and wise, Leslie touched countless lives. Her strength and grace, quiet determination, and servant-hearted love made her a steady presence in the lives of her family and all who knew her. Her legacy lives on in the lives she shaped, the love she gave, and the beauty she created.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM at Four Mile Creek Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia.