Leslie Ann Murtagh

 Leslie Ann Bundy Murtagh, APRN passed away May 7, 2024, at her home in Casper, Wyoming…

It was an overcast, balmy 42 degrees on a Friday afternoon on January 22, 1954. There was a slight breeze of 40 mph.  Leslie Ann, the much-anticipated daughter of Wayne L. and Joanne (Breckenridge) Bundy, made her appearance.  Thus began the adventure filled and successful life of Leslie…

Always an inquisitive and intelligent child, she was a good, curious student with an active interest and participation in music and social activities. Her ‘little sister’ Kirsten completed their family several years later.    As the Bundy parents were actively engaged in keeping the doors open and growing the family business, Bundy’s Marine and Ski, they spent much time with both sets of grandparents throughout their younger years.  Obviously, the girls learned to ski at a very young age.    In later years, her immediate family grew with the inclusion of a stepmother and stepbrothers and sister and many aunts, uncles, and cousins!   

Leslie graduated from Natrona County High School   with the class of 1972.   With honorable aspirations of becoming a nurse, she attended Westminster College of Nursing in Salt Lake City, there completing her BS of Nursing.  It was here she met her future husband, Steve Murtagh, and they were married in 1978.  They moved to West Lafayette Indiana where Steve attended Purdue to complete his MBA while Leslie worked at the hospital on the neonatal and surgical floors.  From there they moved to the Detroit, Michigan area, close to Ann Arbor, where Steve was employed with Ford Motor Company.  They then moved to Boston, Massachusetts where Steve taught at Boston College and Leslie received her Masters with a psychiatric emphasis, thus launching her future as a counselor and psychotherapeutic nurse with scripting privileges.  Throughout all these years and relocations she was employed as a nurse in the various hospitals, to include pediatric and cardiology floors.  Their next move was to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she worked at a local hospital before beginning her private therapy practice.  Their son, Colin, who presently resides in Laramie, Wyoming and continues his Mother’s love of cooking and preparing delightful menus, was born here. They later divorced.

  She was to become the choice of many lawyers to draft the court’s required child custody evaluations as well as maintaining child and family therapy practices in Casper and Colorado Springs.    She maintained two homes to facilitate her practices both in Wyoming and Colorado.  She was a Professor of Nursing providing instruction for Nurse Practitioners at University of Colorado-Pueblo for several years as well and was well respected and reviewed.   She had many lifelong friends and colleagues.   

In addition to her academic achievements, she was a gourmet cook having taken cooking lessons throughout the years to include a month-long class in Florence, Italy.  She traveled extensively with journeys to Peru, South America as well as Europe and loved to host dinner parties with specialized menus.   She loved decorating her homes.  She was a Girl Scout Leader in Michigan.  She loved hosting tea parties and cookie making sessions with her nieces when they were younger.  She loved to prepare jams and jellies from fresh fruit and prepared delightful pickles using her grandmother’s recipes.  She won several Grand and Blue ribbons for her baked goods, pickles and jams at the County and State Fairs in Wyoming of which she was very proud.  She continued her love of music by learning to play Bass guitar and singing in local chorales.

She was a voracious reader and loved to watch NFL Football, 60 Minutes and Hallmark movies.  She loved when the cherry blossoms were in bloom.   

 She loved family gatherings and loved to play board and card games, especially Scrabble and Pictionary.   She loved her nieces and nephews and extended family.  She and her sister Kirsten were loving caregivers to their Mother before her passing.  

 Throughout her life Leslie had a deep love and appreciation for her dogs and all pets.  She had many dogs of various breeds, all of whom were treasured.  She also loved to ride horses having ridden dressage while in Michigan and ‘plain old Western’ when back in Wyoming.  

Those of us left behind will always cherish the memories … the camping trips, the Cheyenne Frontier trips, the family gatherings, the Casper College plays and musicals…all special and deeply etched in our hearts. She is survived by and deeply missed by many family members within the Casper area and elsewhere.  

Services will be held Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Bustard & Jacoby Funeral Home. The family invites you for a reception at Bustard & Jacoby Reception Center following the service.