Long-time Carson City resident Leah S. Chiara passed away Dec. 8, 2010, at age 85, at Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center following a brief illness. She was born April 30, 1925, in Battle Mountain, one of eight children born to E. O. and Mae D. Swackhamer. She is preceded in death by her husband Herb in 1964. Leah was educated in the Battle Mountain school system and attended college at The College of Notre Dame in Belmont, Calif. After their marriage, she and Herb moved to Carson City in 1959 where he was an administrator with the Carson City School District. Leah also later went to work with the school district as the secretary to the superintendent until her retirement in 1990. A devout Catholic, Leah spent much of her time in church activities and other Catholic organizations like Catholic Daughters.
She is survived by her three children, Christopher, Delaney and Geoffrey. She is also survived by son-in-law Louie Sanchez and granddaughters Leah Wentworth, Amy Sanchez and Kayla Sanchez. Leah was a devoted, loving mother and grandmother as well as a loyal and trusted friend. We are terribly saddened by her passing knowing that this world will never quite be the same without her. A visitation and rosary will be at 2 p.m. today at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 3597 N. Sunridge Dr., Carson City, followed by a funeral Mass at 3 p.m. Interment will take place at the Battle Mountain Cemetery. FitzHenry's Funeral Home is caring for arrangements.