Leigh Ann (Sams, James) Nielson

Leigh Ann (Sams, James) Nielson passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 64 with her loved ones at her side Jan. 12, 2025. She was born Jan. 6, 1961, in Seattle, Wash., to Darrel and Karen (Stickley) Sams.  

She graduated from Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Wash., in 1978, from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration and a math minor, and from Seattle University with a master's in teaching. She worked for several years at the Bank of America in the Columbia Tower in Seattle while finishing her bachelor's degree and then going on to get her master's degree. This was not easy, as she was also a single parent at the time. She then came to Moses Lake in 2000 to become a math teacher at Frontier Middle School. 

During her teaching career, she advocated for her fellow teachers as a Moses Lake Education Association Union rep for many years and on the negotiating committee. She also officiated Frontier volleyball games and area high school volleyball games as well as umpiring for the Columbia Basin Umpire Association in baseball and softball games and numerous tournaments through the years. She really enjoyed and excelled at umpiring, and helped train others, as well. The biggest compliment she remembered from this time is when she was umpiring a Warden High School softball game and the catcher said the team referred to her as "the fair one". 

She was a fair, kind, fun-loving teacher who helped students have fun and build a sense of community while also learning mathematical facts. She was also generous with her time and helpful to others. On any given day during her lunchtime, there would be students in her room having lunch with her rather than in the lunchroom. She would let her hair grow long for several years and then get it cut and donate it to Wigs For Kids. She did this four times during her time at Frontier. She chose Wigs For Kids as they will make wigs for any kid who needs one — including burn survivors. For six summers she volunteered/worked at Camp Eyabsut, a camp at North Bend for child burn survivors. 

She met her husband, Brian Nielson, in 2000, and they married in 2016. Brian was a Ham/Amateur Radio enthusiast and Leigh Ann became one as well. She got her license in 2004 and spent many hours talking with people all over the world. Brian is a long-time fishing guide, and they enjoyed fishing for steelhead on the Grande Ronde River, and for walleye in the Potholes, Moses Lake and Banks Lake. They also found time to organize and run local pool leagues and pool tournaments for many years. They both loved music and attended many concerts together. They saw Celine Dion at Caesar's Palace in 2004, Cher and Bob Segar and The Eagles in Spokane, and many concerts at the Gorge. Leigh Ann was also instrumental in recent upgrades to the Gorge's handicapped access to concerts. Their last concert together was Luke Combs last October. 

In more recent years, she really enjoyed spending time with her son, Brian's kids, her grandchildren and with her father, who had moved to Moses Lake in his later years. 

Unfortunately, in February of 2022, she had to retire early from teaching because the ALS she had been diagnosed with in 2019 made it impossible to continue. She valiantly faced the challenges and changes in her life as the ALS slowly took its toll. Despite these life-altering changes, and becoming more and more dependent on others, she continued to help others whenever possible and made them feel comfortable in her presence. When her young grandchildren came over, she would take them for rides on her lap on her electric wheelchair. They loved it. She wrote several pages of detailed information/ideas/suggestions for ALS patients and others who are losing their mobility. Her information is now being used at ALS Clinics, by local doctors and by many pastors in Washington to help those with ALS or other mobility issues. 

Leigh Ann was preceded in death by her mother, Karen. 

She is survived by her father, Darrel, husband Brian Nielson, her son, Brian (Kim) James, her sisters, Kathy Sturges and Julee (Kurt) Wilson, and her grandchildren, Merick, Truett, Benelli, Harlee and Peyten. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALSTDI) at https://bit.ly/FIGHTALS to team-gleason.org or to the Shriners Hospital in Spokane. 

No services are scheduled, as a celebration of life was previously held with close friends and family.