In lieu of flower or gifts

The family requests a donation to the “Leslie Andersen ‘74 Scholarship Fund” at her alma mater, Smith College. This fund was created to provide a scholarship opportunity for students in need.

You may make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge online at www.smith.edu//giving or you may mail a check to:

Smith College Gift Accounting
33 Elm Street
Northampton, MA 01063

***Please specify in the donation special instructions that this gift is for the "Leslie Andersen '74 Scholarship Fund" to ensure it is correctly attributed to this fund.***

 Funeral for Leslie Andersen

December 24, 1952 - June 29, 2023
Saturday, July 8 at 2:00pm Reception to follow

Obituary

Leslie Andersen, age 70, of Woodridge, IL, passed away on June 29, 2023, at Lutheran General Hospital while surrounded by her adoring family. Leslie was born in Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, daughter of Sylvia Newman and George Howard. She was incredibly loquacious and an accomplished student. She was a proud and active alumna of Girls High in Philadelphia (Class of 1970) and Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts (Class of 1974). Leslie graduated from Smith with majors in African American studies and Religion. She received her Master’s of Education in counseling from the University of Massachusetts Amherst soon after leaving Smith.

Leslie married Gary Davis in 1974 and welcomed their son, Jeffrey, in January of 1981. They resided in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Leslie later moved to Iowa, married David Andersen in 1988, then they moved to the Chicagoland area settling in Downers Grove for over 20 years. David and Leslie welcomed their daughter, Juliana, in November of 1991.

Leslie’s professional career was focused on helping and guiding others through their careers. Her roles included working as a career counselor at the University of Iowa, Assistant Director of the Career Development Office at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and concluded her career at University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy where she worked as Associate Director of the Career Development Office. She was instrumental in supporting thousands of students to secure employment and develop their career paths, and she stayed in touch with many of them throughout the years. She was an exceptional advisor and proud of her positive impact on those she served.

Leslie was an active member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and regarded herself as a “cradle Episcopalian”. She supported many organizations, her most notable being Smith College, NPR, PBS, ASPCA, and the Morton Arboretum. She was an advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equal rights and worked tirelessly to help those in need. Leslie was worldly and traveled frequently.

Leslie is survived by her two children, Jeffrey (Tracy) Davis and Juliana (Dara) Lipowski, along with her three siblings, George, Angelique, and Gabrielle Howard. Leslie was a self-proclaimed “cat lady” and a loyal and valued member of the Smithies Who Love Cats Facebook group. She is survived by her cat, Kali.

Leslie is predeceased by her father George Howard (2005), mother Sylvia Howard (2012), brother Gregory Howard (2014), and husband David Andersen (2018).

Leslie was a deeply compassionate, strong, selfless, and charitable woman. She saw life as being full of opportunities and saw the best in everyone. Leslie became fast friends with every person and every cat she met. She has friends all over the globe and has touched countless lives; she will be truly missed.