Leonie began her nursing career aged 16 as a Community Nurse in Wairoa. She came from a unionist family and joined the NZNA union on starting her nursing career. Leonie transitioned through to become an Enrolled Nurse in 1977 and worked at Waikato Hospital for 34 years across Orthopaedics and Women’s Health wards.
Leonie was an ardent supporter of nurses, famous for being vocal and determined when something needed to be addressed, changed or challenged. During her nursing career Leonie held many union roles, developing into an active and vocal workplace delegate. Early on in her career she was a ward union delegate, a title she wore with great pride.
Leonie was a founding member of the NZNO when the unions amalgamated in the early 1990s, an NZNO workplace delegate and a founding member and later chairperson of the NZNO Midlands EN section. Her passion was bringing member issues and ideas from the workplace to the table, and because of this in 2011 she was voted on to the National EN Section committee, later becoming Chair of the committee and working to ensure the voice of enrolled nurses throughout the entire country continued to be heard loud and proud.
A very special diamond
In 2021 Leonie was bestowed the NZNO Award of Honour for her passion, dedication and advocacy to enrolled nursing. Leonie is still and will remain an honorary member of the enrolled nurse section. In retirement she did not slow down. Leonie presented to the College of Respiratory Nurses late in 2024, with not a dry eye in the house. She helped to organise the NZNO 2024 conference in Hamilton and in 2025 attended the NZNO 60 years of enrolled nursing in Aotearoa celebrations in Wellington as “their very special diamond”.
Leonie will forever be known as a great nurse, a true advocate, a passionate activist for the greater good and a precious friend. She was determined and stubborn, with her laughter and pragmatic advice remembered by all.
Legacy of love and kindness
Post-diagnosis with pleural mesothelioma, Leonie worked tirelessly to raise the profile of asbestos exposure in our communities and support those who had been impacted. In 2020, Leonie co-founded a charity, the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Trust (MSAA Trust). As long-term Vice Chair, Leonie personally contacted every new mesothelioma patient who reached out to the Trust so that they were welcomed and supported, despite going through her own battle. Leonie travelled across the country, meeting and supporting others even just weeks before she passed away. Leonie left a legacy of love, kindness and strength to remaining MSAA board members, who remember her as a true legend, innovator and champion.
Leonie leaves behind Colin, her husband of 54 years, daughters Natasha, Jo and Toni and grandchildren Lilley, Lucy, Gemma, Nina, Raff, AJ and Dash. Leonie’s family are incredibly proud of her and everything she has achieved and will miss her immensely.
Terri-Ann Berry is Chair of the Mesothelioma Support & Awareness Trust. Leonie’s daughter Natasha assisted with this tribute. The photograph shows Leonie with her three daughters.
