Dolores Conklin Leckey, a longtime advocate for the laity in the Catholic Church and author of many books on spirituality and faith, died Jan. 17 at age 89 at her Arlington home.
Leckey served as founding director of the Secretariat for the Laity at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (1977-97) and was a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Seminary at Georgetown University in Washington, where she continued to work on issues related to the laity for 14 years. She and her husband, Tom Leckey, were among eight members of a prayer group who became co-founders of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing in 1989.
She is survived by her children, Mary Kate Marcellus, Celia Leckey, Thomas Joseph Leckey, and Colum Leckey; her children by marriage Ron Marcellus, Ricky Bible, Margaret (Kabalin) Leckey, and Donna Bible; her grandchildren, Alana Brase, Roman Leckey, Monica Leckey, Maria Leckey, Cameron Marcellus, Grace Leckey, and Conor Marcellus; her grandchild by marriage Maria Elkin; her great-grandchild Rory Alexander Elkin-Brase; her brother-in-law John Leckey and his wife Myra Leckey, and their children Shannon, Courtney, and Sean, and their families; and her nephews by marriage, Donald, Terry, and Alex Cannon and their families.
Her husband of 46 years, Thomas Philip Leckey, preceded her in death. Her second husband, Joseph Schatzel, also preceded her in death.
A wake and prayer service will be Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. and a funeral Mass will be Jan. 26 at 11 a.m., both at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 2700 19th St. S., Arlington.
