Obituary of Leslie Ann Brettschneider

Leslie Ann Brettschneider of Washington, DC, born July 14, 1987, died March 15, 2023

Cherished and loved daughter, sister, niece, aunt, friend, social worker, professor, woman of faith and action.

Survived by her father, William Leslie Brettschneider, mother Kathleen Ann Cassotti, stepmother Tammie Brettschneider, sister Olivia Brettschneider, brother Joshua Brettschneider, aunt Cathie Brettschneider, stepfather Michael McGuire, brother Greg Kalwa and sister-in-law, Laura Kalwa, nieces Sadie and Mia Kalwa, sister Gina Cook and brother-in-law Steve Cook, niece Kenzie Cook and nephew Connor Cook, and dear friends Ryland Copeland, Melissa Neuman, and Laura Niver.

Leslie was born and raised in Catonsville, Maryland, surrounded by the love of her family members. At a young age Leslie came to faith in Jesus Christ. Her early teen through college years at Grove City College were marked by outreach and service to marginalized communities in Baltimore, MD, Brooklyn, NY, and San Francisco, CA. International outreach found her in Cameroon, Brazil and Hungary. She was fiercely independent and adventurous, willing to stretch and push through limitations, and always an advocate for those whose voice was not well-heard.

Leslie always found joy in physical pursuits using her talent and temperament. An accomplished runner, superb cyclist and aspiring triathlete, her embrace of the discipline of yoga provided the core balance that undergirded all her other activities.

Her advanced training at the University of Maryland leading to her Master’s in Social Work provided the skills needed to build a career in service to members of her community who were too often sidelined by the mainstream. Leslie planted herself in the community and passionately advocated for people in her care, with roles at Community Connections and N Street Village. Most recently she served as the Director of Integrated Emotional Wellness at Community of Hope in Washington, DC, an organization where Leslie thrived and where she made a tangible difference in the lives of her clients and colleagues.

She was also an advocate for social justice and cared about the community she was a part of in Washington, DC. She cultivated friendships at work, the yoga studio, church (including New Song Community Church in Baltimore, followed by Grace Mosaic and Grace Downtown, and most recently Church of the Resurrection in Washington, DC) and everywhere she went. When Leslie decided to be your friend, there was no turning her away. She brought people together and created intentional, lasting bonds.

Dearly and daily missed – Leslie Ann Brettschneider: extraordinary woman whose life left none untouched.

On March 22, 2023, family and close friends gathered as Leslie was laid to rest at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, 2023, 10:00am, at Capitol Hill Baptist Church (525 A Street NE). Join us as we remember and honor her life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Leslie’s memory to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Metavivor, Community of Hope, or the Loveland Foundation