Trot Insider has learned that former Standardbred owner and breeder Wendy Clare Leavitt, 73, passed away on March 10 in the Victoria General Site, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, N.S. after losing a very short battle with cancer.
Wendy was born in Halifax on January 10, 1943. She was a daughter of the late Roy Patrick and Estelle (Bunny Fougere) Horne. She is survived by brothers, Bernard (Merry) Horne, Maine; Kenneth (Nova Lee) Horne, Dartmouth; Danny, Halifax; sisters, Joan Horne, Halifax; Shirley (Wayne Webber), Dartmouth; many nieces and nephews; aunts, uncles and cousins.
After attending St. Pat's High School, she worked briefly at Dalhousie Child Guidance Clinic. At 19, she boarded a ship for New York City and accepted a position at Hoffman-La Roche in New Jersey. She quickly became interested in horse racing, which led to her marriage to Alan Leavitt. She enjoyed many years at Lana Lobell Farms in Bedminster, New Jersey in the breeding and racing industry of Standardbred horses. She generously reached out and gave summer jobs to her nieces and nephews from Nova Scotia. Wendy was generous to a fault and she marched to the beat of her own drum right to the very end. Wendy returned to Nova Scotia in 1999, where she worked at Capital Health until her health failed her.
The family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses and staff of 8A, VG Site, for their care and kindness to Wendy. Cremation had taken place and there is no service, at Wendy's request. A private family celebration of her life will be held in early spring. For those that wish, donations may be made to Multiple Myeloma Society of Canada.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Wendy Leavitt.
(With files from Halifax Chronicle-Herald)