Leila I. Wassom

Leila Irene Wassom, age 70, of Greenbelt, Maryland passed away peacefully at Luminis Health Doctors Hospital in Lanham, MD on November 27 th , 2025. Prior to her death, Leila had been hospitalized for over three months with serious, systemic health conditions and infections.

Leila was born on April 22d, 1955 in Washington, D.C. She grew up in Adelphi and lived in Prince George’s County, Maryland throughout her life. She graduated from High Point High School in Beltsville, MD in 1973; and from the University of Maryland (College Park) in 1977. She was employed for ten years by the D.C. Superior Court, where she worked in the Clerk’s Offices of the Civil and Family Divisions. After earning a paralegal certificate from Prince George’s Community College, she commenced her federal government career. Leila served as a paralegal with the Bureau of Prisons, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service before retiring in 2019. She enjoyed her work and her colleagues but was glad to devote more time to her passions in retirement.

For over 40 years Leila was a very involved and active member of University Park church of Christ in Hyattsville, MD. She taught children’s Bible classes, participated enthusiastically in the church’s service and outreach activities, and was always ready to lend a hand wherever help was needed. Leila’s other interests included spending quality time with her cats (she usually had two at a time) and participating in various organizations focused on such diverse topics as feline conservation, Maryland’s Civil War history, and the Dark Shadows television program. Leila was an enthusiastic fan of DC’s sports teams, and enjoyed attending football, baseball and hockey games. She also enjoyed reading, visiting local historical sites, and travel. She visited all 50 U.S. states as well as Canada and several European countries.

Leila was devoted to her family and her many friends and was widely known as a warm and generous person who never forgot a friend and had an amazing talent for gift-giving.

Leila was preceded in death by her parents Perry and Evelyn Wassom, her sister Louise Wassom Rancourt and an infant brother Ralph Wassom. Those left behind to cherish her memory include her brother-in-law Donald Rancourt, as well as many cousins, other relatives, and friends.

Memorial donations can be made to the Feline Conservation Foundation https://www.felineconservation.org or to University Park church’s Kenya Mission Fund https://giving.servantkeeper.com/upcoc/giving/.