DELORES RAFFETY YALE LEONARD ~ Class of 1949
November 18, 1931 - February 28, 2007



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Delores was born November 18, 1931 in Yale, OK to Elmer and Mable Raffety. She moved to the Tri-Cites in 1947 and graduated from Richland High School in 1949. Delores married Bowen Leonard, Jr. in 1960 and with their 5 children they created a loving, blended family.

In her younger years, Delores was a basketball player and an avid bowler with the housewives league, winning many trophies. She was a long time volunteer with the Kadlec Auxiliary beginning in 1971 and acquired over 15,000 hours, working full time up to the beginning of her illness. She became the head of microfilming, supervising 33 volunteers and once held the office of Vice President. She received the President’s Call to Service Award for volunteering in 2004. She helped establish the Red Hat Chapter, Darling Red Hats, which grew to 20 members. She was an active member for 5 years. Delores was a very social person and was loved by all who knew her. She was very interested in others’ lives and was always willing to help in any way necessary. Whenever she met someone new, she made sure to know their name. She enjoyed hunting and traveling with her husband and children and later in life they enjoyed their summers fishing at Badger Lake and playing cards with family and friends. With a gleam in her eye and a grin on her face, she always managed to win, (however, she was the one keeping score.)

She was recently preceded in death by her loving husband of 47 years, Bowen. She is survived by her five children, Susan Smith, John Yale (Jim Mullens) of Curlew, Bowen Leonard, III (Jan) of Mukilteo, Linda DeWall (Sandy Mathes) of Shelton, and Cheryl Yale (Patti Kacz) of Rainier. Her sister Gayla Raffety Baird ('52) and her brother Charlie ('57) Raffety (Beverly) also survive her. She has 6 grandchildren, Laura Rogers of Puyallup, Wendy Smith of Richland, Michael Smith of Kennewick, Clinton Smith of Richland, Faedra Smith of Kennewick, and Krysta Wolfe (Buddy) of Olympia, 3 great grand children, Andrew and Brandon Rogers, Lexus Edwards, and many other extended family.

Wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, in-law, and friend, she will be greatly missed by all. The family has requested that donations be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society. There will be a viewing for her and her deceased husband at Einan’s Funeral Home on Saturday March 3 from 10:00 – 3:00 with a private memorial service for Delores and Bo on Sunday.