Lea A. Tolley

November 3, 1957 – June 16, 2024

Lea Ann Tolley, Atlanta, went home to the Lord on June 16, 2024. Born November 3, 1957, in Ft. Wayne, Lea’s life was a wild ride. She started off in Lutheran school, sowing a seed in her that would grow her whole life as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Lea also lived through the 70s and truly embraced that hippie mindset.

Lea was a proud graduate of Fort Wayne’s North Side High, class of 1976. After high school she attended Oolitic Construction Training Center where her career as a heavy equipment operator began, showcasing not only her formidable capacity to excel in a challenging field, but also her tenacity to succeed as a woman in a man’s world.

It was while working on Eli Lily in Indianapolis that Lea was introduced to the love her life, Mike Tolley. Lea and Mike were wed on June 23, 1984. She lost Mike in February of 2022.

Lea loved to read and learn. She immersed herself into learning about religion and biblical times. She was most fascinated in Judaism and Christianity and studied her Bible daily when she could.

Lea enjoyed her house plants, of which there is a multitude, some older than her kids. In her younger years her gardens were magnificent, rows of food and flowers, carefully weeded and watered each day. In more recent years, Lea got especially excited about native plants and all the pollinators they brought to her yard. She also loved watching her doves, cardinals, and hummingbirds.

Lea has been a traveler since she was a child. Her favorite place to go was Arizona, where the red skies and mountains and wild horses captured her heart and spirit. She had stories about traveling all over the United States, from New York, to the southernmost tip in Florida, all the way out west to her beloved Arizona. Mark Twain said it best: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” As you can imagine, Lea never met a stranger.

Family was the cornerstone of Lea’s world. She was a loving mother to James (Natalie) Tolley, Crystal (Jose Urrutia) Tolley, Frances (Johnny) Moore, and Annabel (Derrick) Wolfe. Her legacy continues through her cherished grandchildren: Laney, Lucas, Logan, Embyr, Wrylee, Michael (Riley), Chloe, Beth (Ben), Cylys, Cayla, Mason, Alexis, Robert, Denver, and four great-grandchildren.

Lea’s grandchildren will deeply miss her presence; she was a constant source of wisdom, encouragement, and unconditional love. Her cat, Dale, will miss her companionship as she so enjoyed his.

She is also survived by her beloved brother, Rick (Diana) Waters, a few wonderful cousins, and many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews. She was the family babysitter and EVERYONE’S favorite aunt.

Lea was preceded in death by her husband Michael Tolley, grandson Peyton Jones, sisters Ronda Woods and Carol Reiter, and her brother Dennis Waters. Lea’s parents, John and Agnes Ilene Waters, also preceded her in passing, leaving Lea to carry on their memory through her actions and love.

Friends and family will remember Lea as a spiritual, outspoken individual, who was always hyping up the people she loved most and was never afraid to stand up for what she considered right. Lea loved Jesus and would want you to know that Jesus loves you.

Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

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