Leah Bailey Johnson

Leah Bailey Johnson died on Saturday, April 9, 2022, after living with leukemia for three years. She was 14 years old.

Leah was born on March 21, 2008, in Sidney, Ohio. From the time she was born, Leah did everything in her own time. She was sweet and stubborn, witty and intelligent, and was undoubtedly one of the strongest people you could ever meet. Leah loved school and was determined to return to school with her classmates at Holy Trinity. Leah planned to attend Notre Dame Academy in the fall with the Class of 2026; she wanted to be involved in every student group she could and grow in her faith. One of her proudest moments was opening her acceptance letter to NDA. Leah admired her doctors and nurses and loved them like a second family. She wanted to go to college and become an oncologist or nurse.

Though Leah was a self-proclaimed introvert, she connected with many people through her wit, sarcasm, intelligence, and overall refusal to back down. Those of us lucky enough to get hugs knew just how much love she had to give. Leah had a special place in her heart for the beach, Costco hoodies, and Target pajama pants, and loved to match her beanies with her clothes (when she wasn’t rocking the bald head look). She loved her family and friends and hated when people stared at her. She had no patience for self-pity and hated the color pink. She loved to talk about all things Marvel. Leah approached life with a calm resolution to always move forward. Her philosophy through her cancer treatment was “never lose a fight for lack of fighting back,” and she was determined to do so until her last minute on Earth. She did things her way and we have loved that part of her the most. For better or worse, the girl never quit. Her resilience and determination to live allowed her doctors to challenge what they thought was possible and push the limits of what was, resulting in new therapy options for kids like Leah. We promised Leah that we would do everything we could to make sure she lived a long and healthy life and we were blessed with doctors who were driven to do the same. They challenged what was and took chances on what could be; all thanks to Leah. This petite little girl had the heart of a lion in a tiny little body. We were privileged to love her.

Leah is survived by her parents Jake and Andrea; her brothers Will, Luke, and Dan; grandmother Pat (Bill) Johnson; grandparents Pat and Peg Bailey; aunts and uncles, cousins, and many friends and extended family members. She was preceded in death by her grandfather Bill Johnson.

Visitation will be held Saturday, April 16, 2022 from 2:00pm-8:00pm at the Weigel Funeral Home in Swanton, Ohio, where a Vigil service will begin at 7:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, April 18, 2022 at 10:00am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Assumption, with Fr. Michael Dandurand presiding. Interment will follow at Marygrove Cemetery on Raab Road. Visitors are invited to wear teal in honor of Leah’s love of the beach or purple for Leah’s League of Warriors.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Holy Trinity Catholic School, 2649 US Highway 20, Swanton, OH 43558 or Stand Up to Cancer.

Leah's Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed Monday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Please follow the link below to attend:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCgSbIeK_ygUDvpkJdSW61Fw