Leah Rae Cushman passed away at her home in Paso Robles CA, September 23, 2021. Her husband of 65 years Jim was with her. A peaceful end to her long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Leah was born March 23, 1937 in Long Beach, CA, to her parents Ray and Nola Alford. She leaves one sister Virginia Miller, of Victorville CA.
In 1951, at a Mariner Girl Scout dance, she met a young Sea Scout named Jim Cushman. She was 14 and he, 16. They were married in Reno Nevada In September of 1956.
After living in Long Beach, the family, which by now,included six-week-old son Lester James, moved to Salem, Oregon where Jim found work as a construction surveyor. They eventually returned to California, and settled in Santa Barbara. Their two other sons, Neil Loren and Lee Raymond were born.
While In Santa Barbara Leah and her husband co-founded Cushman Contracting Corporation, a heavy construction company. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in August of 2019. CCC as it is called was considered a family business, which meant to Leah that everyone involved was family. She treated all accordingly. Leah worked tirelessly in the building of the company, particularly in the accounting payroll and financial areas of the business. In more ways than one, she was the heart of the business. When the advent of computers raised new challenges, she accepted them and kept on moving forward, until the onset of her illness in 2009.
During her time in Santa Barbara, Leah became involved with the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Justice Commission. She served on the commission for 10 years eventually becoming its chairman. She received a commendation for her service from the County Board of Supervisors in 1989. In 1990, their children grown with families of their own, Leah and Jim relocated once again, this time to Paso Robles, CA, where she remained until her passing.
Leah loved to play tennis. She became active in competitive tennis in Santa Barbara, as well as in Paso Robles. She enjoyed boating with her husband Jim, a throwback from their teen age years together. Her primary source of enjoyment was, of course, her family, three sons, ten grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Leah is survived by her husband Jim; sons Les, Neil and Lee; grandchildren Blair, Chad, Kendra, Kyle, Rachelle, Dale, Melanie, Caroline, Kelly and Kaitlyn; daughters-in-law; Lisa, Katy and Katie; as well as assorted cousins, nephews, and nieces, together with many lifelong friends from her many endeavors.
Special thanks go to three of her care givers, Tammy, Margie, and Amy, as well as to her doctor, Kevin Colton. Without the help of these four kind, caring, and very professional people, her stay at home during her long struggle with a relentless disease could not have happened.
She was loved by many people, all of whom share the common bonds of grief, together with the joy of having known her. Her ashes will be scattered at sea by her family; no date has been set for a memorial.
