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Dora Henriette Leanos, a retired Goucher College French professor, died March 25 in her sleep of Parkinson’s disease complications at the Oak Crest Senior Living Community. The former Towson resident was 86.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, she was the daughter of Henrik Horchler, an optical engineer and Dora Nagy, a teacher. The family left their home to avoid the Russian Army occupation at the end of World War II. She recalled a wartime escape and seeing bodies in the streets. They left on a truck.
They lived in Schruns, Austria, where she attended a convent school that had no heat. She recalled waking in the morning to find a washing bowl covered in ice. The family sailed to the U.S. on a Liberty Ship in 1950 and settled initially in Port Jervis, New York.
She attended Eden Hall Convent of the Sacred Heart and earned her undergraduate degree from Chestnut Hill College and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.
In 1973 she married James Leanos, a commercial real estate broker. They met through mutual friends during a “Handel’s Messiah” concert at The Lyric. Their wedding was held at the Goucher College Chapel.
She taught French at Goucher College from 1968 to 2003 and retired as an assistant professor.
“Henriette was low-key in her approach to teaching. She was traditional — she insisted upon proper diction and grammar,” her husband said.
“Henriette’s passion for languages was complemented by a love for travel,” her husband said. “She had an inquisitive mind. She built a rich and varied circle of friends with whom she was deliberate about maintaining contact and visiting.”
He said she enjoyed working with her hands. She “was an avid gardener with a gift for creating serene backyard settings as well as plentiful vegetables,” her husband said.
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She was a quilter and embroiderer. She belonged to a quilting group called SEPT and QUILT where she made close friends
“Her artistic talent, combined with unmatched patience and attention to detail, produced many beautiful items that are treasured by their recipients,” her husband said.
Known as “Muci,” she was the core of her large, extended family and her passing leaves a hole in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
A memorial service and Mass will be held at 10 a.m. May 10 at the Oak Crest Chapel, 8800 Walther Blvd. in Parkville.
Survivors include her husband of 52 years, James Leanos; two sons, Alexander Speros Leanos, of Wilmington, North Carolina and Nicholas Henry Leanos, of Greenbelt; two brothers, Martin Horchler, of Andalusia, Pennsylvania and Gabriel Horchler of Cheverly; a sister, Beatrix Daily of Philadelphia; a grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
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