Deceased February 12, 2022

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In Memory

Anna Leider et al
I write to you with sadness to tell you of the death of our friend and classmate, Anna Leider ’81. Anna passed away on Feb. 12, 2022, after a two-year struggle with brain cancer.  

Anna and I met on the first day of orientation and were fast friends from then on. In true liberal arts fashion, Anna embraced all aspects of life at Amherst. She majored in American Studies, competed with the swim team, helped produce the Olio for four years and was a dedicated Phi Delt. Anna was always up for an adventure.

She devoted her work life to serving others. First, she ran the small publishing business she inherited from her father. The company specialized in books on paying for and applying to college, having sprung from the experience of Anna’s own college search. Helping students find scholarships was a natural as Anna was likely the first woman to attend college on an NFL scholarship which she earned in an essay contest. Later, Anna turned to serving the City of Alexandria, Virginia, as an election official for 22 years, including six years as the city’s general registrar and director of elections. Over those years, Anna helped to manage 41 elections, including four presidential elections, with her calm, efficient and organized manner.

Before serving as an elections official, Anna pursued her love of politics with the Alexandria Democratic Committee and was elected party chair from 1993-97. She led Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign in Alexandria.

Anna embraced life beyond the work place with a wonderful and eclectic mix of cultural activities. She had season tickets to the ballet for many years. She traveled the world with her mother and aunt, drinking in the history, culture and especially art history of every continent, except Antarctica. She enthusiastically shared her adventures with friends through postcards and FB posts. But Anna also loved the kitsch of Las Vegas, traveling there many times with her grad school friends, and attending Adam Lambert and Queen concerts. 

Anna Leider '81
Sports were her great love, either as a participant or a spectator. She rowed, and later taught, crew during high school, graduate school and for many years as an active member of Alexandria Community Rowing. Anna loved some of the more obscure sports. She followed on Twitter several cyclists, and even some of their chefs, during the Tour de France. Before the sport became cool, she would tape Team USA’s curling games each Winter Olympics. Anna adopted the KU basketball team because her Aunt Marilyn was a professor of art history there and traveled with her family to tournaments in complete Jayhawk regalia.

But most of all, Anna was a dedicated baseball fan, switching her allegiance from the Chicago White Sox to the Washington Nationals from the moment they came to town in 2005. She was a season ticket holder from the start. I will be forever grateful that Anna was able to experience the excitement and joy of the Nats’ World Series Championship run in 2019. She was there for every painful at home loss but also in Nats Park for every away victory watching on the scoreboard with other loyal fans. We traveled several times to spring training in Florida and combined her interests with kayaking before the games, one time even watching a bobcat take down a pelican—to the surprise and amazement of our guide.

Anna is survived by her mother, Kit Leider; her beloved cat, Sammie; and her many friends from the various avenues of her life. I will sorely miss her loyal friendship, dry wit and our shared adventures. 

Karen Bizier Smith ’81