Violet Marie Leist

Violet “Marie” Kopsolias Leist, age 89, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at her home where she was surrounded by her family. She resided in Huntington, WV, with her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and James, who had taken care of her for four years with the help of their daughter, Emilee. She had suffered many years with the mentally and physically disabling disease of Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body, and Vascular dementia. 

Marie was born January 21, 1935, in Becco, WV, to the late John Nicholas and Euna Maude Scites Kopsolias. She was raised on a family farm in Branchland, WV with three brothers and one sister. She graduated Guyan Valley High School in Pleasant View, WV. 

She worked at Owens-Illinois Glass Plant in Huntington, WV for almost 30 years. She retired when the plant closed in 1993. 

She was saved and baptized at the age of 10 and became a member of the Mildred United Baptist Church in Branchland, WV. In the 1970s she became a member of the Eighteenth Street United Baptist Church, Huntington, WV, where she was very active until the church closed its doors in 2015. She was also a member of the Bethlehem Association’s Ladies of the Harvest Ministry for many years. After Eighteenth Street Church closed, she became a member of Sunshine Free Will Baptist Church, Huntington, WV. She was a child of God and spread hismessage to whomever would listen. 

She is survived by her son, Larry D’Alessio (Beth)of Branchland, WV, and daughter Jennifer Aliff (James), granddaughters Allison Rummel(Seth), Jennifer Packer, Brittany Lawhon (Chris), Lana Aliff, Emilee Aliff (Blake Preston), Great-granddaughters Michaela Worthington, Lilah Meyers, Mya and Bella Rummel. 

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Charles Leist, son Robert D’Alessio, three brothers; Manuel Lester (Oneida), George Edward (Nevada), and Billie Lee (Kathleen) Kopsolias, and sister Dorothy Kopsolias Hartman. 

Services will be at 2 pmFriday, July 26, 2024, at McGhee Handley Funeral Home, West Hamlin, WV. Visitation with the family starts at 12:00 pm prior to the service. Graveside services will follow after the funeral at the Scites-Kopsolias Cemetery in Branchland, WV. Pastor Jody Fortner of Sunshine Free Will Baptist Church will officiate the funeral.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Huntington, who greatly helped and comforted the family during the last few weeks of her life.