Husband of Bellevue Shooting Victim Speaks Out

Gloria Koch Leonidas, the , was a decisive person who didn't hesitate to do the right thing, her husband, Tom Leonidas, told reporters in a recent interview.

Leonidas was an innocent victim when shooter Ian Stawicki, who had just shot five people at Cafe Racer in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood, came upon her in a parking lot near Seattle's Town Hall.

Stawicki attacked her, and .

"I understand that at one point she kicked the gun out of his hands and I would have expected nothing less of her," Tom Leonidas told KING 5.

However, Stawicki managed to shoot the mother of two fatally before stealing her Mercedes SUV. Leonidas was the fifth victim who died in the May 30 shootings. A sixth victim survived, and Stawicki shot himself after police tracked him down in West Seattle.

Leonidas , and was active in her daughters' school and on the boards of Kirkland's Evergreen Healthcare Foundation and the  Illuminating Engineering Society of Puget Sound, an association of lighting professionals.

"One of the things that's helped us through this is the fact that we're not grieving alone, and there is a whole city grieving, and we will never truly understand why this happened," Tom Leonidas said in his televised interview with KING 5. 

According to Leonidas' obituary at Sunset Hills Funeral Home and Memorial Park, remembrances may be made in the following ways:

•The Gloria Leonidas Children's Fund

Contributions to this fund will go directly to provide assistance for the education of Gloria's daughters as well as to provide for medical expenses for one of her daughters that are not covered by health insurance. Contributions should be made payable to:

Gloria Leonidas Children's Fund
c/o George Treperinas
Karr Tuttle Campbell
1201 Third Avenue, Suite 2900
Seattle, WA 98101

Click Here to: Donate Online to Gloria Children's Fund

•Evergreen Health Foundation

Gloria was an active foundation board member of Evergreen Health. During her tenure on the Foundation board, Gloria touched many lives and her crowning legacy will be remembered by many as Evergreen Health's annual Gala, which is responsible for raising over $7.5 million to support the care of the Eastside community. Contributions toward this fund will continue her love and passion to provide and improve healthcare for the Eastside Community. Contributions should be made payable to:

Evergreen Health Foundation
12040 NE 128th Street MS#5
Kirkland, WA 98034

Please note on payment: In memory of Gloria Leonidas

•Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club Foundation

Gloria and her husband support The Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Foundation, which provides charitable support funding projects both locally and nationally. Some of the projects that have been undertaken by the BBRC Foundation include Bicycles for Orphans, Crossroads Spray Play Park, Operation Warm, Success Program and many more that can be found at www.bbrc.net. Contributions should be made payable to:

BBRC Foundation
PO Box 3003
Bellevue, WA 98009-3003

Please note on payment: In memory of Gloria Leonidas

•The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)

IOCC, in the spirit of Christ's love, offers emergency relief and development programs to those in need worldwide, without discrimination, and strengthens the capacity of the Orthodox Church to so respond. Contributions can be made online at www.iocc.org or by check to the following:

IOCC
110 West Road, Suite 360
Baltimore, MD 21204

Please note on payment: In memory of Gloria Leonidas