Leila was born and raised in Kamloops, growing up in Dallas, where she developed her love for nature. She graduated from Kamloops Senior Secondary, and went to work as a legal assistant upon her graduation. She worked for many years in law firms, but left that career behind to start her own successful landscaping business, Hands on Yard Care. She continued working her magic in the garden, until she retired. She always cared for and surrounded herself with pets, dogs, cats, birds and an abundance of fish, both in her garden pond and in beautiful aquariums.
She is survived by her best friend and loving husband, Bob Rye, and by her brother Larry (Marilyn) Vanstone and nephew and niece, Jason and Pamela.