Leigh Ann Oatney

Leigh Ann Oatney, 45, wife of Paul Mooring, passed away on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at her home in Decatur, Georgia with her family and close friends by her side. She was comfortable and left us peacefully, without the burden of pain or suffering.

She fought a courageous battle against Metastatic Breast Cancer that was diagnosed a little over 14 months ago. Although her time was much shorter than her family had hoped, Leigh Ann spent the last year having amazing adventures and having zero regrets.  She refused to let her diagnosis take away the things that made her so amazing.  She accomplished that and more.

Leigh Ann was born March 14, 1976, a centennial baby, to Thomas Neil Oatney and Mary Ann Reindl Oatney in Springfield, Ohio. She graduated from Shawnee High School in Springfield in 1994 and from Bowling Green State University in in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1998.

After graduation, she worked for a travel agency which allowed her to continue her passion for travel.  In her lifetime, she touched 6 continents, nearly every U.S. state, lived in two countries always seeking out the next great adventure.  

In 2004, when living in Los Angeles, California, she met Paul Mooring and they fell in love.  They continued to reside in Orange County, California until Paul’s job took them to Portland, Oregon in 2006. While in Portland, they married on 26 Jan 2009 in Paarl, South Africa and continued to travel the world.  Their son, Liam, was born in 2012 and, after another job transfer in 2014, the family moved to Georgia settling in Decatur.

Survivors include her husband, Paul V. Mooring, son Liam Henry Mooring of Decatur, Georgia; parents Thomas Neil and Mary Ann Reindl Oatney of Centerville, Ohio; parents-in-law Alan Eugene Mooring and Barbara Louise Morehouse Mooring of Plains, Montana; sister Cynthia Lynette Oatney Speer and husband Christopher S. Speer of Grand Prairie, Texas; brothers-in-law Brian Christopher Mooring and wife Cathy Fanning Mooring of Riverside, California, Aaron Cameron Mooring and wife Shirley Reategue Mooring of Riverside, California; nephews Capt. Christopher Mathew Gause of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Nicholas Patrick Gause of Wilmington, North Carolina, John Christopher Speer of Grand Prairie, Texas, Jeremy Fanning of California, Austin Aaron Mooring of California, Art Robinson of California, and Spencer Alan Mooring of California; nieces Chloe Speer of Grand Prairie, Texas, Hannah Speer of Charleston, South Carolina, Emily Speer Downes and husband Edward Downes of Dallas, Texas, Amy Robinson Beloso and husband Rod Beloso of California, Gabrielle Monique Mooring and husband Michael Lizarraga of California, Jessyca Maxine Mooring of California and Mariah Elaine Mooring of California; aunts Nanette Frances Oatney Rowe and husband Clifford Rowe of Centerville, Ohio and Kris Marie Reindl of Mansfield, Ohio; uncle Timothy Edward Oatney and wife Laura Sue Reed Oatney of Lancaster, Ohio; 1st cousins Kristi Marie Reindl and Joseph Charles Reindl of Mansfield, Ohio, Andrew Forrest Rowe and wife Molly Allen Rowe of Carlisle, Ohio, Serena Dawn Rowe Finnigan and husband Corey Michael Finnigan of Cedar Park, Texas, Levi Timothy Oatney and wife Melissa Davis Oatney of Lewis Center, Ohio, and Gretchen Sue Oatney Wright and husband Shannon Anthony Wright of Lancaster, Ohio, and special friends Keesa and Craig Swaney of Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Leigh Ann was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Neil Edward Oatney and F. Ilene Reed Oatney and her maternal grandparents James Charles Reindl and Dorothy Josephine Heckman Reindl and uncle Joseph Louis Reindl.

Per Leigh Ann’s wishes, she was cremated with no viewing. A celebration of life took place on Friday, December 17, 2021 at the Decatur First United Methodist Church in Decatur, Georgia, where she taught Pre-Kindergarten.  A recorded video of the service can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/656707336/751e64304c

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Atlanta Community Food Bank (www.acfb.org/donate) in Leigh Ann’s honor, an organization she cared deeply about or the American Breast Cancer Foundation (https://www.ubcf.org).