Leone Healy grew up in western central New South Wales before moving to Sydney to train as a nurse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Following her marriage in 1959 she moved to Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga. The birth of her fourth child, who was deaf, set Healy on a path of activism and dedication in the field of disability services. She was elected to the Orange City Council and gained a Social Science degree from Charles Sturt University in the 1970s. Healy later worked as a community consultant and in government.
In her retirement, Healy studied writing under Patti Miller and Sue Woolfe, and went on to teach classes in life writing.
Source: 'The "Quiet Mouse" Who Learned to Roar', Penelope Nelson, Sydney Morning Herald, 'Weekend Business' (27-28 March 2010): 12.
