Catherine Leapheart, age 80, of Russellville, died Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at Woodland Heights Senior Living in Little Rock.  She was born April 21, 1943, in Center Ridge, to John Q. Gilreath and Cumi Aquella Roseburrow.

She was the first African American graduate from Petit Jean Vocational Technical School, now known as the University of Arkansas Community College. She was employed as Social Services Director for Conway County Hospital.

She worked for Winrock International, and as the Director Department of Labor, for Arkansas, Missouri, and Maryland, and consulted in Poland, Japan, Australia, and Greece.  During her tenure she recruited candidates for work in newly developing countries of the former Soviet Union; served as the Community Development Director of the Arkansas Department of Employment Security, Local Office Director, Russellville, for the Arkansas Department of Employment Security, Deloitte and Touche "Enhancing Customer Service Project" assisting government agencies in Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong and Japan.

She served with many international and national associations including:  IAPES (now IAWP) International Association of Personnel in Employment Security, IAWP International Association of Workforce Professionals, ICESA (now NASWA) Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies, NASWA National Association of State Workforce Agencies, and SESA State Employment Security Agencies.  She was elected President of ICESA/NASWA from 2002 to 2004, serving two one-year terms in succession.  She was the first President to do so, which was unprecedented at the time. In both her positions with IAPES and ICESA she did extensive annual lobbying of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, to promote funding and improvement of delivery of services and benefits to workers within the USA.

Her work with community organizations included Russellville Rotary Club, River Valley Library Board, Arkansas Urban League, Russellville Business and Professional Women, and as an advisory member of the Arkansas Tech University and Petit Jean Technical College Boards, Florence Chrittenden Home Board, Adopt a Child Group, the Jefferson City, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Missouri Family and Community Trust, and a member of Habitat for Humanity.  She was very active politically and served for several years as the Chairperson of the Pope County Election Commission.

When she finally formally "retired" she made it down to Australia with Workforce Development and took many trips to visit with family in Tokyo, Japan.

Professionally, she was an incredibly talented, knowledgeable, trustworthy, and skillful person with a magnitude of leadership quality, competencies, and skills.  However, to her family and friends she was the most beautiful person, caring, empathetic, full of wit, humor, and wisdom and always ready to lend a helping hand.  She will always remain close in the hearts of her loved ones and friends and live on in all their memories of her.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Otis Eugene Leapheart; and son, Tony Lavelle Leapheart.

Survivors include two daughters, Joy Leapheart of Russellville, and Donna Driver of Conroe, Texas; a granddaughter, Anisa Leapheart of North Little Rock; her siblings, sisters, Ivory Jean Lee and Alta Cobb (Estee deceased) of Conway, Wonder Wyatt of Kansas City, Missouri; brother, Vincent Roseburrow of Jacksonville; sister Linda Bradley and brother, Loucis Roseburrow of Dallas, Texas; sister-in-law, Mildred Leapheart-Hosam of Detroit, Michigan; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She also leaves behind cherished friends, Rose Smith, Larry Ludwig, Dolly Rhodes and Anne Maxfield.

A memorial service will be 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at the Shinn Chapel officiated by her niece, Aquella Ellis under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville. The burial will be private in Mount Zion Methodist Church Cemetery near Center Ridge.

The family will receive friends immediately following the service in the chapel.

Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Arkansas, 201 Markham Center Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.

Online guestbook and condolences available at www.shinnfuneral.com.