Leah Tsosie

Leah Violet Tsosie, 23, died Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Durango, Colo. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 24, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Hood Mortuary Chapel. The funeral service will be held Friday, May 24, 2013, at 3:30 p.m., also at Hood Mortuary Chapel. Burial will occur at a private family plot in Brimhall, N.M. Ms. Tsosie was born February 14, 1990, in Durango, the daughter of Randy Tsosie and Shawmarie Tso. Leah was Dine and was born into the Zuni and Meadow people. Leah grew up and attended schools in Durango. She graduated from Durango Senior High in 2008. Leah had worked at Francisco's Restaurant and also at Four Corners Health Care Center as a dietary aide, but she was currently studying nursing at Southwest Community College in Durango as well as working at the Head Start in Ignacio, where she thoroughly enjoyed teaching young children. Leah enjoyed being with her friends, family and was respectful to everyone. She liked the TV series, "True Blood," reading, baking, running, downloading music and Facebook. She also enjoyed playing volleyball, basketball and in the spring and summer, she went to New Mexico and did family ranch work. She had a recent interest in beading, attending music concerts and she liked the Denver Nuggets basketball team. Her favorite color was lime green and her birthstone was the Amethyst. “She always had a smile on her face, was full of life and was our Valentine Baby,” fondly recall her family. She adored animals, especially her dog, Miko, and her cat, Yoda. She is survived by Shawmarie Tso (mother) and Richard Moquino (step-father) of Durango, Randy Tsosie (father) of Ignacio, Colo., Taylor Moquino (brother), Makenna Tso (sister), Roger Tenorio (brother), Susie Tso (grandmother) all of Durango, Rena H. Tsosie (grandmother) of Brimhall, N.M., Ben Rafael (grandfather) of Brimhall, N.M., Gwen and Delvin Bennett (aunt and uncle) of Brimhall, N.M., and numerous aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her uncle Sonny Chischilly, great-grandparents, Mike H. and Violet Tso, grandpa Johnson H. Tso and grandpa Tom Moquino.