Lisa "Lis" Leckey-Swanson

**DATE OF DEATH HAS BEEN CHANGED TO KEEP SERVICE INFORMATION CURRENT**

Lis G. Leckey-Swanson, age 48, of North Sioux City, SD, passed away on Monday, October 7, 2024, in Sioux City, IA.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in De Smet, SD.

Burial at De Smet Cemetery following the service.

In lieu of flowers, Lis would have wanted you to donate to your local animal shelter or Humane Society in her name.  

Lis lived a big life. The daughter of the late James and Carol Leckey, Lis moved to De Smet when she was very young. As she progressed through school, she became an accomplished musician. She wore both a cheerleading uniform and the De Smet team mascot suit. Lis spent time at the Laura Ingalls Wilder center informing tourists that the television program “Little House on the Prairie” was not actually a reality TV show. She learned that the best tips at the Oxbow are during pheasant hunting season. Lis visited Australia as an exchange student during high school, and later returned there during college to visit her foster family.

Lis was especially creative, becoming an accomplished photographer during her youth. Lis leveraged her skill with the camera by opening a successful photography studio in Brookings, South Dakota while chasing her Computer Science degree at SDSU. Her interest in photography lasted her entire life. Her skill in computer science led her to the level of Data Governance Manger for her most recent employer, something she was very proud of.

If you asked Lis to use a word to describe herself, that word would have been “eclectic”. And she was. Besides photography, her hobbies ranged from vintage hat collecting to amazing wire weaving and beadwork to bird watching- something she was passionate about. She was a huge fan of DC’s Wonder Woman as well as the Golden Girls TV show. She was the kind of person who could fit into any crowd, anywhere, and talk about literally anything.

And, oh, Lis was funny. Most people don’t know that for a few years after moving to North Sioux City, Lis routinely performed stand-up comedy, and once opened for professional comedians in front of a packed crowd at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. Her sense of humor was quirky, sarcastic, and fierce. Not only could Lis light up a room, but she could also control one.

Lis loved animals. Oh, my did she love animals. She transferred that joy to her husband, Kori Swanson after they were wed in Brookings, SD in 1999. Over their 25 years together, there were many cats, two parrots, a lot of laughter, and more than enough love for all. Each day, Lis would fill up bird feeders hanging from the tree in her front yard and teach anyone who would listen about the difference between a Downy woodpecker and…well, every other type of small flier that frequented her birdie buffet. She would get especially excited when a small flock of sparrows she named “Teatime Revelers” flew in at dusk. Squirrels ate from her hand because they knew she was good.

Lis loved her friends. She loved her family. And we all love her so, so dearly and miss her in ways that words can’t manifest. Her soul is unique, her dreams large, and her time far too short.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel                                                 www.crawfordosthus.com

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