Leath worked at Elon University for 30 years and died in August 2025. Friends, family and colleagues remember her as "one of a kind."
Elon University dedicated a bench in memory of longtime employee Rena Leath on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
Leath worked at Elon for 30 years, starting as a dining hall supervisor and then moving to Environmental Services. On Thursday, she was remembered as “dedicated, reliable and deeply kind,” as friends and family gathered for the dedication in the Collonades, between Story Hall and Moffitt Hall.
“She made others feel cared for, seen, and respected, often without words — simply through the way she moved through her work,” said Rev. Kirstin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, who led Thursday’s dedication. “Rena was not only a devoted member of this campus — she was a woman whose life was shaped by love, joy, and connection outside of these walls. She loved to travel, to be with friends, and to gather with her family around meals, stories and laughter. She understood that joy is a practice, and she embraced it fully.”
Raymond Fletcher, senior director of facilities management, acknowledged how many lives Leath touched in her work at Elon. Friends and loved ones also shared words of remembrance during the dedication, describing Leath as someone who “left a little bit of light wherever she went.”
“This bench is more than just a place to sit, it’s a place to pause, reflect, and remember her kindness, her laughter, and her generous heart,” said Nicki Elliott, a friend of Leath’s and a distribution services associate with Elon’s Environmental Services. “I hope that everyone who stops here will feel even a small part of the warmth and love she gave so freely.”