Leslie A. Hallock, 69, of Jamestown, died Friday August 16, 2024, at UPMC Hamot.

She was born March 5, 1955, in Milford, CT, a daughter of Robert and Martha Swain Hallock.

Following graduation from high school she went on to Cedar Crest College and received a master's degree in early childhood education from Fredonia State University.

Prior to her retirement in 2018, she was employed by Jamestown Public Schools as a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary School. She previously was director of A Children's Place Daycare Center. Her passion for early childhood education and her remarkable ability to nurture children's growth were evident in her relationships as a teacher, mother, and grandmother.

A gifted singer, Leslie was committed to building a rich choral music community in the area since she moved to Jamestown in 1979. She was a founding member of Chautauqua Chamber Singers and the women's a cappella ensemble Serendipity.

She was also a talented gardener and brought beauty to the spaces and people around her through plants and the art she crafted as the Glass Gardener.

Leslie taught and advocated for peace and justice everywhere. She lit up the room with her smile and her love for others.

She is survived by her mother of Orange, CT; four children, Meghan (Nate Ela) Morris of Philadelphia, PA, Lauren (Aaron) Cecchini-Butler of Boston, MA, Benjamin (Erica) Cecchini-Ramos of Nosara, Costa Rica, and Adam Cecchini of Baltimore, MD; four grandchildren, Philo and Calix Morris-Ela, Wren Butler and TBD Butler; a sister, Lisa Hallock, of Orange, CT; a brother, David Hallock, of Orange, CT; a niece, Jessica (Tim) Adams, of Denver, CO; and a great-nephew, Easton Adams, of Denver, CO. She was preceded in death by her father. She will be deeply missed by her family and the many friends, students, and community members whose lives she touched.

Friends will be received from 1-4pm Thursday in the Lind Funeral Home, followed by a garden party at Leslie's home from 5-8pm.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.