Lane M. Leedahl

Lane Leedahl, 42, of North Kingstown, RI (formerly of Grand Forks, ND & Lawrence, KS) died peacefully at home with his family on Saturday, November 16, 2024 following a lengthy, courageous battle with a bear. He wanted it to be known that cancer did not get him, so a bear seemed appropriate.
Through all facets of his life, Lane was known to bring positive energy and endless passion, and he truly cheered on and elevated each person he reached. For the things he was passionate about, he spent much time on them, loved talking with others, and tried to make a positive contribution as much as he could. Mr. Leedahl was a cherished elementary school teacher in the North Kingstown School District, and Coach Leedahl was a treasured basketball coach for North Kingstown travel teams and for the Davisville Middle School team in recent years.
Lane was the husband to Skye (Folkert) Leedahl for nearly 18 years and was the adored father to his son Finn (15) & daughter Raye (5). Lane is also survived by his mother Glenna Leedahl of Grand Forks, ND; brother Brooks (Courtney) Leedahl & niece Heidi of Breckenridge, CO; sister Kim (Chris) Lindgren & nephew Beckham of Denver, CO; mother-in-law Peggy Folkert of Kansas City, KS; father-in-law Don (Carrie) Folkert of Minot, ND; sister-in-law Amber Folkert of Kansas City, KS; and close family members Dean and Myra Quale of Spicer, MN. He was predeceased by his father, Jack Leedahl, and one of his best friends, Michael Henneman.
Lane grew up in Grand Forks, ND with his family where he enjoyed spending time with many friends and being on sports teams. He was very involved in school activities at Grand Forks Red River High School, including band, basketball, and football. He had enough school spirit and pride for everyone, and he was always the loudest, proudest fan standing in the front row at any games or events with the craziest outfits. He prided himself on all the various jobs he had– such as making the best smoothies at Orange Julius and being a disc jockey and a sports announcer for the KYCK radio station. He graduated high school in 2001 and headed to the University of North Dakota where he majored in history and continued his love for basketball as a fan and on recreational teams.
After his freshman year, he met Skye while working at a moving company for a summer job. They were inseparable from the time they met and were always open to a new adventure if they could go together. They served as interns in Washington, DC for Kent Conrad and Earl Pomeroy while in college and developed a love for the east coast. Lane and Skye shared a devoted partnership, built on trust, unwavering support, and a profound respect for one another. They were true confidantes and had opposite strengths, encouraging and empowering each other to thrive in every aspect of their lives.
Upon graduating from UND, Lane and Skye moved to Lawrence, Kansas where Skye went to graduate school and Lane worked, mostly at O'Malley Beverage of Kansas (Budweiser wholesaler) where he was a stellar line cleaner and eventual salesperson who developed close connections with all his customers. The love for the Kansas Jayhawks and the basketball team grew quickly while living in Lawrence, and he was lucky enough to enjoy cheering them to an NCAA championship in 2008 and many other big wins. Lane loved his years living in Lawrence and made many lifelong friends.
Finn was born in 2009, and Lane jumped to Father of the Year status immediately. Finn and Lane became inseparable best buds, and Lane instilled in Finn a true love for basketball, video games, and sports as well as a kind heart and compassion for others. Lane's dad, Jack, also died in 2009, and with this, Lane lost his biggest cheerleader.
Lane and family moved to Rhode Island in 2013 when Skye accepted a faculty position at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Lane had always dreamed of being a teacher, and his dream came true when he graduated from URI with a Master's degree in 2015 and took a position in the North Kingstown School District (NKSD). Being a teacher was truly his calling. Over his years of teaching, he worked at Quidnessett Elementary, Fishing Cove Elementary, and Stony Lane Elementary, mostly in third grade. Lane was instrumental in fostering a culture of community, kindness, and inclusion within his classrooms and the schools. At each school, he developed close bonds with every teacher, student, and family he met. He described his job as a "Dream Facilitator", and it was his wish to see all the kids he worked with to keep going and live out their dreams.
Lane also spent the last decade coaching Finn's soccer and basketball teams. Lane was endlessly proud of Finn and enjoyed every minute of coaching him, watching him play, and driving him and his friends around in his beloved mini-van. Lane became close with many of the other coaches and the families he met through youth sports. Most importantly, he developed close ties with all the kids- often instilling in them the confidence they needed to believe in themselves and to always, always have fun. Through these experiences, he developed a love for coaching, which led him to become the head basketball coach at Davisville Middle School. He spent three years coaching the Dragons to some impressive wins and helping them through challenging losses. The atmosphere he helped to create was electric. The teams grew so close that they felt like a family, and no one ever wanted to see the seasons end.
Raye was born in 2018, and she quickly became a bright light for the family. Lane enjoyed being a 'girl dad' and expanded his horizons to embrace all things pink, dancing, skating, and art, and the two of them enjoyed being goofy together. Raye and Finn brought about a joy for Lane that he never thought possible. Lane was diagnosed with cancer in November of 2021, and his diagnosis led to three years of travel to New York City and Boston. Even while enduring difficult chemotherapy treatments and surgeries, he embraced all that NYC had to offer, often taking in baseball games, finding basketball courts, going to a show with Skye, or enjoying a pizza slice.
Through everything in his life, Lane especially loved having fun, and he always found joy in each moment of the day, often stating that he was blessed. He had an incredible mind and managed to remember all kinds of things that most would not. Lane was known for his unique gestures-he would come up with endearing nicknames for everyone, and he loved to celebrate other people's birthdays or brighten someone's day when they were down. Other hobbies he enjoyed included playing video games, watching the Tour de France and F1 racing, doing any kind of trivia (he always wanted to be on Jeopardy!), watching and strategizing about any sport, grilling, and doing yard work.
Lane's legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched, the memories he created, and the love he shared so generously. He will be deeply missed but forever remembered. His family and friends will never forget him and his strong, courageous, honest ways, and we will always be grateful for every minute we had.
A heartfelt thank you to his many doctors (Drs. Angela Taber, Nancy Kemeny, Peter Kingham, Louise Connell, and Elizabeth Walsh in particular) and the loving, careful nurses who took tremendous care of Lane. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the North Kingstown Educational Foundation or sent by mail (PO Box 809, North Kingstown, RI 02852); https://acommunitythrives.mightycause.com/organization/North-Kingstown-Educational-Foundation. All proceeds will benefit kids and families to improve children's education opportunities.
A Christian memorial service for family and close friends will be held at Fagan-Quinn Funeral Home, 825 Boston Neck Road, North Kingstown, RI on Saturday, December 7th at 11:00am. A celebration of life will follow at 12:30pm at North Kingstown High School, 150 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown, RI where all are welcome to attend and honor Lane's memory.