Leslee J. McCarty, 73, passed away Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in The Villages, Florida, where she had been in hospice care.
Born December 4, 1948, in Huntington, she was the daughter of the late Maggie Harbour McCarty and Harold E. McCarty.
Leslee grew up in Barboursville, and was a 1966 graduate of Barboursville High School. She later received a B.A. degree from Marshall University and an M.S.W. from West Virginia University.
For 20 years, Leslee ran The Current, a popular Bed and Breakfast near the Greenbrier River Trail at Beard, where her guests often became her friends. She cooperated with the local animal shelters in fostering innumerable dogs and cats over the years. Her great love for the river and trail led her to co-found and spearhead the Greenbrier River Watershed Association, one of the many environmental causes to which she was devoted. And she was active for many years in the Greenbrier River Trail Association. She worked diligently as a lobbyist for the West Virginia Environmental Council for a number of years, and was a faithful and energetic member of various environmental organizations in the state.
When she began to winter in Florida with her mother, she also grew to love the Chassahowitzka River near Homosassa where she could often be found in her kayak or boat. She loved the manatees in the area and became involved in efforts to protect them.
Leslee’s concerns about climate change figured prominently in her efforts. She recently wrote that she would like most to be remembered as “a water protector and a friend to animals.”
She is survived by a large family of loving cousins and friends.
Friends wishing to memorialize Leslee may send donations to The Greenbrier River Watershed Association, Save the Manatee Club, West Virginia Environmental Council, or another environmental organization of their choice.
