Nancy Kirby Leach

Nancy K. Leach, 88, of Burlington, North Carolina went home to be with her Lord and Savior on January 21, 2026. She was born in Caldwell County to the late William Gamewell and Bertha Mae McRary Kirby of Granite Falls. She was the wife of John Robert “Bob” Leach, the love of her life. They celebrated 60 wonderful years of marriage. 

Nancy graduated from Mitchell Business College in Statesville, North Carolina. At Mitchell, she enjoyed watching the local Statesville boys play basketball on the court outside her dorm. One of those boys would eventually win her heart and become her husband. Nancy and Bob started their married life in Statesville, but they soon decided to relocate to Burlington, NC so Bob could complete his education at Elon College. There, Nancy worked for Carolina Biological and then spent most of her career in the business office at Technical Institute of Alamance, which later became Alamance Community College. These years were also full of activity and love as she raised her two daughters and supported her husband Bob’s teaching and coaching career. 

After retiring from ACC, Nancy and her husband Bob enjoyed a wonderful retirement. They were together constantly. They loved to go to the beach, read, and relax. They enjoyed traveling and were fortunate enough to have visited every state in the continental USA. But what she loved most was spending time with her family. She especially enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren. 

Nancy was a beloved wife, Mama and GranGran. She was a very special person and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. Those who know her best will always remember her beautiful smile and her infectious laugh that we referred to as Tee Hee-ing. Once she started, it was hard not to join in. Her joy was contagious and her presence made life brighter for all of us. She was a woman with incredible strength who fought and conquered cancer with courage and hope. She had a soft spot for animals, often stopping to say hello as if they were old friends. She loved the outdoors whether it was combing the beach for treasures (including a huge shark tooth she found) or working in her beautiful backyard gardens. 

Nancy was a member of Berea Christian Church and attended for over 50 years. Over the years, she sang in the choir, served as Sunday school treasurer, and was a member of Berea Ladies Troupe.

She is survived by her daughter Phyllis and her husband Hugh Fields of Burlington, daughter Suzanne and her husband Marty Umbaugh of Wilmington; grandchildren Amanda Grace Fields, Bailey Umbaugh and Kyle Umbaugh, her sisters in law Dot Kirby and Mary Ann Kirby, and many loving nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings Willie Sue “Shug” Williams, Ruth Cline, James “Bud” Kirby, Mable Austin, Gus “Bo” Kirby, Vera “Dot” Michael, Andrew Kirby, Fred Kirby, and Judy Wilson.

The funeral service to celebrate the life of Nancy will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Berea Christian Church by Pastor Jeff Smith with the burial to follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:30pm to 1:45pm Saturday prior to the service and other times at the home. 

Memorials may be made to Berea Christian Church, 2848 Old NC 87, Elon, NC 27244 or to a charity of one’s choice.