Elizabeth L. Mayo

Elizabeth L. MayoExecutive Secretary

Elizabeth Leonard Mayo, 98, an executive secretary for 63 years at a single law firm, died of congestive heart failure Jan. 30 at the Fountains at Washington House in Alexandria.

Miss Leonard worked for Francis M. Shea, who later formed the Shea, Grenman, Gardner law firm, from 1937 until she retired eight years ago. She began working for Shea before he was an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department, and she served as one of the secretaries at the Nuremburg Trials in 1945, when Shea was associate counsel for the prosecution of Axis war criminals.

Miss Leonard was the firm's administrative chief for nearly 25 years, until an office manager was hired. She retired when she turned 90.

She was born in Macon, Ga., and graduated from business school there. She worked for a physician in Georgia until she passed the civil service test and moved to Washington about 1930. She was working in a U.S. Department of Agriculture secretarial pool when Shea hired her.

Miss Leonard was a member of Arlington United Methodist Church and was a 27-year member of the Arts Club of Washington.

Her husband of seven years, John Mayo, died in 1972.

Survivors include five stepchildren, Henry Mayo of Arlington County, Philip Mayo of Burke, Melvin Mayo of Manakin-Sabot, Va., Christine Stieffel of Bethesda and Kent Mayo, Beaverton, Ore.; and a sister.

-- Patricia Sullivan