Eugenia Heth

Eugenia (“Gene”) Anny Leach Heth passed away peacefully on October 24, 2026, at Wellington Place at Whiting, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Born on July 19, 1925, in Genoa, Wisconsin, she was the daughter of Sam and Jenny Anny. Active in her faith community, her life was marked by resilience, humor and service to others.

Raised on a farm, from a family of Italian immigrants, Gene enjoyed the outdoors and was no stranger to hard work and elbow grease. She attended Mound Ridge Grade School in Genoa, and later graduated from Aquinas High School in 1943 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

After meeting Wilford Leach in a Catholic singles group, the couple married in 1949 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in La Crosse, and raised their family of seven in that community. Atypical for her era, and a woman unafraid to go against the grain, Gene chose to nurse her babies, and was a committed member of La Leche League, a breastfeeding support movement which had only recently emerged.

A service-oriented individual, she worked at the La Crosse medical clinic before the birth of their children, and in later years ran a rooming house business in addition to helping establish and operate Larry’s Music Store in La Crosse.

Four years following Wilford’s passing, Gene married Robert (“Bob”) Heth Sr. in 1986 at Saint Joseph the Workman Cathedral in La Crosse, and her family expanded to include Bob’s three children and their families. The couple lived in La Crescent, Minnesota, and enjoyed wintering in Arizona, where she studied Spanish and learned to play cards with the other snow birds.

Gene put her faith into action in many ways. An outgoing person, she loved hosting family, friends and neighbors for holiday meals. She served as a Girl Scout leader and was a volunteer with the Catholic Women at Saint Joseph the Workman Cathedral and at Crucifixion Catholic Church (La Crescent). Additionally, she oversaw the care of three unmarried disabled aunts and her mother.

Throughout her 101 years, her wide array of interests reflected both her creative and active natures. She enjoyed lap swimming, bowling, golfing, reading, Bible study, caring for her plants, baking (in particular her memorable apple pies), and knitting. In recent years, she was an avid follower of Brewers baseball and stayed up to date on each season’s current line up of ballplayers. She enjoyed attending mass and devotions at her assisted living facility, and was dedicated to growing in her faith through praying the Rosary and engaging in discussion with others.

Gene was fortunate to have a number of memorable travel experiences. Among the highlights were a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she swam in the Dead Sea, and several visits to Italy and Sicily, where she visited her father’s childhood home.

In addition to her husbands Wilford and Bob, she was preceded in death by her parents, her son Larry, sister Josephine, and brother Salvatore. Gene’s living family rejoices that she can now be reunited in peace with loved ones.

Her legacy lives on in her children: Peggy (Tom) Stenborg, Tom (Judy) Leach, Lynda Flaherty, Janis (Mike) Nash, Bill (Kathy) Leach, and Daniel J Leach. Gene was a proud grandmother to 16 grandchildren: Ben and Tony Leach; Marie Pauls, Becky Riley and Rose Stenborg; Angela Tucker, Jim and Chris Leach; Molly Mann, Thad and Daniel F Flaherty; Kim and Daniel W Leach; Andy and Tom Nash, and Leah Hensel. Her family further extends to 27 great-grandchildren, some of whom affectionately called her “G.G,” in addition to two half-siblings, Lucy Celes and Vito Camancho, and three stepchildren Robert Jr. and Dan Heth and Suzanne Skoug. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, spouses of her grandchildren, and family friends.

A visitation with Gene’s family will take place on Monday, November 16, 4-6pm at Schumacher-Kish Funeral Home (111 North Oak Street, La Crescent) with Rosary prayers at 5:30pm.

On Tuesday, November 17, visitation is at 10:00am, eulogy is at 10:45am, and Mass of Christian Burial is at 11:00am at Crucifixion Catholic Church (423 South Second Street, La Crescent), A funeral procession to the Catholic Cemetery in La Crosse (519 Losey Boulevard South) will directly follow the service. Afterward, all are invited to gather for a luncheon at Crucifixion School (420 South Second Street, La Crescent).

The family would like to express their gratitude for the kindness of friends, the Aspirus Hospice staff and the caregivers at Wellington Place at Whiting, Stevens Point.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Gene’s memory to Aquinas High School in La Crosse and Crucifixion School in La Crescent.