Gail Cathleen Leland's Obituary
Funeral services for Homicide Survivors founder Gail Leland will be held Saturday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the YWCA, 525 N. Bonita Ave. Fellowship will follow. Leland, 63, died Nov. 21 after a 12-year battle with cancer. Leland founded the charter chapter of Parents of Murdered Children in Tucson on Feb. 19, 1982, after the kidnapping and murder of one of her sons, Richard. It later became Homicide Survivors Inc., according to the Homicide Survivors website. The organization started as an all-volunteer group that offered support and advice to families of murder victims, often meeting in members' homes and talking on the phone. Later, members began advocating for crime victims' rights and lobbied legislators to pass laws that would provide crime victims with compensation and other assistance. Leland and others in the program are also credited with helping to get laws passed pertaining to dangerous crimes against children, guilty-except-insane defendants and victims receiving mail from inmates.
What’s your fondest memory of Gail?
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Share a story where Gail's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Gail you’ll never forget.
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