Leah V. Ball

Leah V. Wade Ball, age 87, of Erie,PA passed away Monday, July 28, 2025. She was born in Erie, on July 24, 1938, the daughter of the late Merle and Winifred "Winnie" Hull Wade.
Leah graduated from Academy High School in 1956 and attended the Behrend Center. She worked in retail sales for the Halle Brothers Co. and the Jockey Outlet Store. Most recently, she worked as the front desk receptionist for Spring Hill Senior Living for 12 and ½ years, retiring in 2007. Leah was a member of Community Christian Church. Her faith brought her joy that she shared with everyone she met. She had been involved with the Erie Christian Women's Club for over 35 years. She enjoyed her vacations at Kelso beach with her "sister cousins" for over 30 years. She loved to travel and was always delighted for any opportunity to be "on the road again", not with Willie Nelson, but with her favorite traveling companion, Rosella. Leah cherished her cats and was seldom without the companionship of one in her home. She had impeccable attention to detail which reflected in her beautifully curated home, her sense of fashion, and her flawless penmanship. Anyone who was introduced to Leah was greeted with a beautiful, warm smile and would eventually be subjected to her unique sense of humor.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William "Bill" E. Ball, her brother, Norman M. Wade; and her "sister cousins", Jean Charles, Marilyn "Mel" King, and Carolyn "Care" Spohr.
Survivors include her three children, Michael Gonzalez (Carol), of Erie, Virginia "Ginny" Culbertson (Timothy), of Erie, and Wesley Gonzalez(Haley), of Erie; her brother, Marshall Wade, of Los Angeles, CA; her four grandchildren, Andrea Rose Culbertson (Jay Kramer), Brendon Gonzalez (Meghan), Aaron Culbertson (Danielle) and Cory Gonzalez (Lauren); her dear lifelong friend, Rosella Kwitowski; and her "sister cousin", Janet Budko, of Erie, CO.
Friends may call at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home, Inc. 5000 Wattsburg Rd, on Monday, August 4th, from 4 to 7 p.m. and are invited to a funeral service there the following morning at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made to CHOSEN – www.chosen210.com, or to the Erie Humane Society - www.eriehumanesociety.org.
Please visit. www.SchmidtFuneralHomeErie.com to leave a condolence on Leah's Tribute Page.