April 19, 1941 – November 26, 2023
Maureen Marilyn Leader April 19, 1941 – November 26, 2023. Maureen passed away peacefully at her home at the age of 82 in Barrie.
She is now back in the arms of her late loving husband, Harvey Leader. She leaves behind 3 sons, Chris, Mark, and Greg Leader along with their wives Tina, Denise, and Jan Leader and 3 grandchildren, Lucas, Jacob, and Royal Leader. Maureen’s journey began with humble beginnings, born and raised in Toronto. She was a devoted wife, mother of 3 boys and a successful businesswoman. In 1975, Maureen encouraged her husband, Harvey to pursue his dream of owning a business.
They packed up their 3 sons and moved to a small town north of Toronto, named Midland, where they opened a jean store off the main street, called “Moody Blues”. From day one, the business thrived thanks to Harvey’s salesmanship and Maureen’s business acumen. “Moody Blues” soon became the largest jean store north of Toronto. In 1980 she recognized the changing business landscape with high interest rates and unemployment and knew they had to make a change. In 1981 they opened their first Pizza Delight franchise in Midland and in 1983 they opened their second Pizza Delight franchise in Penetanguishene. Both locations ranked among the top ten in the pizza chain out of over 100 stores operating in Canada. Maureen’s generosity extended beyond business success, she often made anonymous donations in the community.
In 1989 she retired, and her and Harvey spent many winters at their waterfront home in Port Orange, Florida. During her later years, she discovered a passion for art, she became very talented with drawings/sketching and painting. She loved spending time with her grandchildren. She found solace in books and dedicated herself to encouraging her children and grandchildren to live meaningful lives and pursue their dreams. She is and will be greatly missed.
