Leanne Blackham Obituary

Leanne (Musser) Blackham, 82, of Washington Township, passed away on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at AHN-Forbes Regional Hospital, Monroeville surrounded by her entire family and loved ones. Born August 15, 1941 in Indiana, PA, she was the daughter of the late Paul H. Musser & Emyla (Lepsch) Musser. Leanne was a 1959 graduate of Penn Hills High School, and studied Art at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) for one year before she chose to marry her high school sweetheart. She was a kind, compassionate, and caring person. Her whole life was devoted to caring for her family and creating a wonderful home. She was a creative and skilled artist, painter, and enjoyed needlework, quilting, sewing, and anything that could be made by hand. Her home was filled with her creations and she loved making handmade gifts for family and friends. She was part of a group of knitters that met regularly at a local yarn shop where she thoroughly enjoyed their friendship and company. Leanne made knitted chemo hats for over 10 years which she donated to the AHN-Cancer Institute in Monroeville. Leanne was an avid lover of jazz music and enjoyed going to local jazz clubs to hear talented musicians play. She and her husband could be seen regularly, almost every weekend for years, at the James Street Tavern on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Leanne also had a great interest in helping the local youth. She was a part of the drug and alcohol program with the Kiski Area School District for many years and served on the Westmoreland County Youth Commission helping to mentor and guide troubled youth. She had a great sense of humor and always made sure her family was well fed. Leanne was never without a sweet treat or a snack and could always be found sitting in her favorite chair knitting or coloring away. Leanne is survived by her husband of 62 years, Richard T. Blackham; children, Rick (Colleen) Blackham of Apollo, Shaun (Cindy Walls) Blackham of Delmont, Jeremy (Kathy Lamison) Blackham of Saltsburg, Megan (Alan) Weigand of Apollo; grandchildren Eric (Emma) Blackham of Cheswick, Andrew Blackham of Hampton, Tim (Tanner) Blackham of Hampton, Elliott, Connor, and Ethan Weigand of Apollo; great-grandchildren, Caden, Declan, FinnLee, Clementine; and her brother, David (Kathleen) Musser of Washington Township. At Leanne's request, all services are private, and have been entrusted to the Curran-Shaffer Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. , Apollo