Vada Darlene Leong was born on April 13, 1947. A Southern Girl. Daughter to Vada and William Jewell. Sister to Betty, Tony and Rodney. She became Vada Leong on July 4, 1969 when she married Dennis Leong.

New titles were added to her resume:

Mother to Sarah Zeisser and her husband Jon.

Mother to Angela Leong and her boyfriend named the "Todd Father.”

Mother to Katie DeNure and her husband Andy. Grandmother to Justin, Bailey, Grace, Marie and Emily.

Mother and servant to Minnie, a dog of unknown breed.

Aunt to Travis and Troy.

Niece to Aunt Mary Knight and Uncle Harvey and Sharon Weaver.

Vada passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of September 6, 2026. She was 79 years old. Vada was preceded in death by her mother, Vada and her father, William, her brother, Rodney, and her Aunt Ada and Uncle Bud Craig.

Vada was a registered nurse for 45 years. She felt blessed to work in the mental health profession. She spent the majority of career in the field of nursing, working in Dane County’s “Mobile Outreach to

Seniors team, a program that delivers mental health services directly to the homes and rural communities for adults aged 60 and up who are unable to travel.

Vada accepted Christ as her savior at the age of eight. She was always grateful for the guidance of other Christian followers. She always said she was not a public speaker but she could put her hand on your shoulder and pray or just sit …

"I hope the Lord knows I did what I could for others and forgive the things I left undone. I think the Lord is always working. When we have seasons of doubt, I think we aren't noticing the things He is doing and has done for us. I try to welcome God to my day and look for his handiwork. Pay Attention! He does not leave us or ignore us, his glory is everywhere.”

Vada brought joy and laughter to everyone who knew her. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends. A celebration of her life will be held at

Blackhawk Church, Brader Way location on October 2, 2026. Visitation at 10:00am, Service at 11:00am, luncheon to follow.

Vada was a fan of the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers. It would be a great honor to the family if you came to the celebration wearing some kind of apparel, scarf, or piece of jewelry from the Packers or Brewers.

Vada’s favorite team was “Team God and Jesus”.

Vada had a drawer full of t-shirts and baseball caps with her favorite Bible verses.

If you have clothing with a Bible phrase or an image of Jesus, the family would be honored if you wore it to the celebration.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to PBS Wisconsin Friends or WayForward Resources (formerly Middleton Outreach Ministries.) Thank you.

“My life has been blessed with comfort in times of pain and sorrow, and full of love and joy. Take care of one another, be kind, humble and always have mercy as God has shown us mercy. I love you all and it is my hope that we will be reunited and worship together again. We are holy, chosen and loved. Stay Salty. Be the Light.”

Please share your memories below in the online guestbook.

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