Frances Witter Leifeste

Frances Witter Leifeste March 10, 1917 ~ May 2, 2009 Today and in the future, there will be a void in the lives of many. On May 2, 2009, Frances Witter Leifeste died peacefully at home at 92 years of age. She was a life-long resident of Austin. She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Dona Witter, Gilbert, her beloved husband of 49 years, and by brothers, Bruce and Harvey Witter. She is survived by her sons, Terry Leifeste of Austin and Dr. Ronald Leifeste and wife, Connie of Woodway, Texas. Additionally, Frances will be greatly missed by her surviving siblings, brother, Bill of Santa Rosa, California; brother, Forrest and his wife, Linda; sister, Vivian Hughes and sister-in-law, Margaret Witter, all residing in Austin. She leaves behind four loving grandchildren, Dirk, Alan, and Brett Leifeste and Sharla Porter and her husband, Matt. She will be remembered as well by her many nieces and nephews as well as a multitude of friends. After her sons were in junior high, Frances became employed as secretary and office manager at The University of Texas Methodist Student Center for 4 1/2 years, after which she worked at the University Student Union for two years. She then became the personal secretary/office manager for the Chaplain of the Canterbury Episcopal Student Center where she retired after 22 years of service which included organizing church retreats and hosting countless dinners at her and Gilbert's home, especially for students unable to be home for holidays. In all these years working with students, she made lasting friendships, and in some cases, with the children of previous students when they entered the University, thus making her sort of a surrogate grandmother. Her life was one of giving of herself in consideration of others in an energetic manner mixed with a quick-wit humor and a no-nonsense candor. After she and Gilbert retired, they intensified their volunteer work at Seton Hospital. When a stroke forced her to stop work at the hospital, she donated over 7,000 volunteer hours. She was in constant quest for knowledge manifested in her continual reading and pursuits of artistic expression ranging from painting to tapestries, from jewelry-making to stained glass in a studio she built at home. Even with all of these activities, she still found time to knit sweaters and do intricate needlework for friends and family. Because of the proximity of her employment to the University area, she was able to take courses semester after semester during her lunch time. When asked why she did not apply for a degree, she replied, "Why do I need a piece of paper to tell me what I already know?" Always enamored of new experiences, she, Gilbert and friends traveled extensively to Great Britain, many European countries, Mexico, the Carribean, dozens of U.S. states, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Turkey, Thailand, Singapore, Venezuela and Panama. She and Gilbert were life-long members of First United Methodist Church where they initially met and were ultimately married on June 18, 1938. They were both active in the Couples Class until their health failed. Her family especially wants to thank Mary Wade, her friend of several decades, and her devoted caretaker in final time of need. They also would like to thank Hospice Austin for it's assistance during this time. The family will receive friends from 12 Noon to 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 6, 2009, in the Colonial Chapel of Cook-Walden Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Cook-Walden/Memorial Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be sent in Frances' memory to the First United Methodist Church.