Leona (Lee) Hood Staton, age 64, a resident of Carol Stream, Illinois, died on October 8, 2024 in Winfield, Illinois. She was born on February 4, 1960 in Guymon, Oklahoma to Lawrence and Betty Hood. She grew up in the small town of Kiowa, Colorado, along with her siblings, Larry and Larissa.

Leona graduated with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a PhD in communication and media studies, also from CU Boulder. Her humble beginnings in her journalism career included writing for newspapers in high school and working as both an anchor and producer for the Missouri-Columbia student TV station. In her professional career, she started in Huntsville, Alabama before moving back to Colorado and working as a news producer for both Denver 7 and KUSA-TV (Channel 9). She also worked as a freelance writer and producer for Channel 2 KWGN and KCNC. Her career in television news spanned 18 years. She began teaching at CU Boulder as an assistant professor, where she worked until 2009, when she moved to Chicago to work as a professor at Loyola University Chicago. She was a dedicated member of the Loyola community for 15 years. Leona was also a dedicated member of St. Matthew UCC, where she enjoyed playing handbells, served on the church council, and frequently volunteered to help with services.

Some of Leona's many accolades include the national Edward L. Bliss Award for Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Education, awarded in 2018. Her newscasts won regional Emmy Awards for hard news and spot news coverage and a Colorado Broadcasters Association Best Newscast award. She was a member of the Chicago-Midwest regional board of directors for the National Television Academy (the group that awards the Emmys) and served in leadership roles at Loyola University and in the School of Communication.

She is survived and missed by her husband of 29 years, William R. Staton; children Rebecca Staton, Will Staton, and Angela McLerran; siblings Larry Hood and Larissa Janee Hood Marchiori; and mother Betty Hood. Leona was preceded in death by her father, Lawrence Hood.

A celebration of life will be held on October 14 at St. Matthew UCC in Wheaton, IL. The visitation will start at 2:00 pm, followed by the service at 3:00. Individuals who are unable to attend in person can livestream the event by going to St. Matthew UCC's website. The video will also be available later on YouTube.