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Mc Kay, Leila

Leila McKay Women's Army Corps WWII
Leila McKay Women's Army Corps WWII
 
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Date of Birth: 6/2/1913
Died On: January 7, 2001
Street Address: Cayuga Street
Service Number: A-205099
Branch of Service: Women's Army Corps-WWII


Veteran Code: WACS-9


BIOGRAPHY
 
Leila A. McKay

Leila Anne Lewkowicz (McKay) was born on June 2, 1913, in York, Ontario, Canada, to Annie Louisa McKee (McKay) and Anthony (Antoine) Joseph Lewkowicz. She was born a Lewkowicz (Annie Leila). Later, she took her mother's maiden name McKee and it evolved into McKay. The family moved to Queens, NY where Leila received her primary education.

In the late 1930's and early 40's she made her home with he close friend Mrs. Roger Burt, at 15 Cayuga Street, Rye NY. She enlisted April 12, 1943, and served in the Women's Army Nurse Corps during World War II.

The U.S. Army Nurse Corps (ANC) underwent a massive expansion during World War II, growing from fewer than 1,000 nurses in 1941 to more than 59,000 by the war's end.

Miss McKay WAC

Lieutenant Miss Leila McKay, WAC, has been promoted to first lieutenant. Before entering the service, Miss McKay made her home with Mrs. Roger Burt, 15 Cayuga Street. She is in the Air Service Command, and is stationed at Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio.
PAGE EIGHT THE RYE CHRONICLE Friday, March 24, 1944

In October 1944 Leila was serving at Fort logan, CO and had developed a new musical therapy for convalescing GI's. Leila was a teacher and also during WW2 a music therapist for soldiers with PTSD. A woman ahead of her time.

A new form of musical therapy treatment in use at an Army Air Forces convalescent hospital and aimed at aiding hat tie-fatigued airmen regain a healthy and normal outlook on life will be described by its originator, Army Nurse Leila McKay, of 15 Cayuga Street, Rye, on Columbia network's "First in the Air" radio program, Friday, October 27. (WABCCBS, 4:00-4:30 P. M., EWT.) Lieut. McKay supervises the construction by the soldiers of their own musical instruments at Fort Logan, Colorado, an Army Air Forces rehabilitation center and convalescent hospital. The project, started by Lieut. McKay, is used at the Fort Logan base in addition to the Army's regular musical therapy methods which, according to the AAF, play a large part in rehabilitating combat-weary G.I.'s
Friday, October 27, 1944 THE RYE CHRONICLE

Leila would marry Dr. Eric O. Callen on August 17, 1946 at The Little Church Around the Corner in Manhattan, NY. The couple had met in NY in 1939 before the war and they would have two sons.

In 1950, they were living in Queens, NY and she was a full time mom. The family would eventually move to Canada. Her husband Dr. Eric Ottleben passed away suddenly on August 22, 1970, in Ayacucho, Peru, at the age of 57. They had been married 24 years.

Leila Anne Lewkowicz (McKay) died on January 7, 2001, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, when she was 87 years old. Widow of Dr. Eric Callen. Dear mother of Tom (Jane) and Bob. Grandmother of Krista and Leah.

A Service in Memory Mrs. Callen was held January 16, 2001 in St. George's Church (Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec)

Name: Leila A McKay Race: White Marital status: Single, Rank: Private Birth Year: 1913 Citizenship: Citizen Residence: Westchester, New York Education: 4 years of high school Civil Occupation: Secretaries Enlistment Date: 12 Apr 1943 Place: New York City
Service Number: A-205099 Branch: Womens Army Corps Civil Life Height: 08 Weight: 127







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