Irwin Leatherman Zanone

Irwin Leatherman Zanone, 66, beloved wife of Philip R. Zanone Sr., died July 23, 2008, in Aspen.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., on Valentine’s Day, 1942, Irwin was reared on Commerce Landing Plantation in Robinsonville, Miss., by her parents, William Abbay and Jeanne Shea Leatherman, whose historic family roots in the Delta date to 1831. She was a graduate of Convent of the Sacred Heart School in Noroton, Conn., and attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia.

Irwin was active in numerous civic and charitable causes, and at the time of her death, she was a member of the Little Club and chair of the garden history and design committee of the Memphis Garden Club. She was also leading a project with the Smithsonian Institution to publish a book on American gardens. In addition to gardening, she was a collector of friends from all walks of life, and her passions were skiing, hiking, and her devotion to her family.

For the past 22 years, Irwin was a part-time resident of Aspen. Married for 44 years to

Philip R. Zanone Sr., she also is survived by two daughters and a son, Mary Z. Johnson (Neil), of Atlanta, Philip R. Zanone Jr. (Morgan), and Katie Z. Webb (Chris), both of Memphis, Tenn.; five cherished grandchildren, Shea and Kate Johnson, and Philip III, Jack and Henry Zanone; and two brothers, Shea Leatherman (Karie), of Memphis, Tenn., and Will Leatherman (Carol) of Greenville, N.C., as well as a host of family and friends. She was one of 31 first cousins in the Shea/Leatherman families and was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, 3-year-old Kate.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Church Health Center, 1210 Peabody Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.