Mashayla Kimberly Rose Leininger

Mashayla (Shayla) Kimberly Rose Leininger was welcomed into the world on June 10, 1996 to Robert Anthony (Tony) Leininger and Jayme Ramsey. An adventurer from the start, Shayla spent her early years with family and friends enjoying hunting, fishing, and exploring Southern Oregon’s most prized nature and historical sites, including the Lava Beds, Crater Lake, and the surrounding mountain lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and hiking trails. Her natural athleticism and fierce determination made her a soccer star throughout her school years, and her love of sports grew from there. After graduating from Henley High School in 2014, Shayla made the move to Eugene where she advanced her fitness training, taking up competitive mixedmartial arts and Brazilian Jujitsu. She was also an avid paintballer and made annual trips to her favorite paintball retreats to wage colorful combat with fellow enthusiasts. She loved and looked forward to any opportunity to travel, explore, compete, and thrill-seek.

Shayla loved Halloween and all things from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This love inspired and drove her passion for makeup artistry and tattoos. She enrolled in Northwest College School of Beauty, graduating in 2019. Shayla shared her talents in salons throughout the greater Eugene area, excelling in areas of lash extensions, hairdressing, and makeup. Shayla created breathtaking Halloween looks for her social media followers, where her creations and humor took center stage. She was known for her long purple hair and infamous green Grinch suit at Christmas. Shayla loved the colors of life and statement making, something that brought great joy to everyone around her.

Shayla’s greatest loves beyond her family and friends were traveling, especially Disneyland and Los Angeles, Las Vegas, cruises, and generally any place known for fun in the sun near the water, and being mother to her fur baby animals at home. Her adoration and compassion for animals was lifelong and abundant. She had a special love for her childhood cat Angel Muffin and was later dog mom to the very sweet-natured malamute Akyla Bear and beloved cats Sophie and Chester. And Oreos. Her very favorite food.

Shayla’s bright light departed us on July 20, 2023. She will live forever in the hearts and memories of all who knew her. Her thoughtfulness and generosity will be missed most of all. Her greatest joy was celebrating those she loved through acts of kindness and gift giving. From surprise party planning to sending food and wine to a loved one’s hotel room while they traveled, to taking someone to a concert, or just finding cute and thoughtful ways of letting you know she cared, she made everyone around her feel special. This was her love language and will be dearly missed by her closest friends and family. Shayla truly cherished her relationships and valued everyone she loved and held dear.

Shayla is preceded in death by her precious pets Angel Muffin and Akyla Bear, as well as family members James L. Walker, Velma Barth, Vernon Thiele, Lois Theile, Vicki and Ellis Stiles, Rose Moormeister, Gordon Ramsey, Jean Ramsey, and Aunt Teddy Leland.

Shayla is survived by parents Tony Leininger and Monty and Jayme Ramsey; siblings Zach Leininger, Reneé Rodgers and partner Mike Defries, and Brandi Rodgers and partner Leslie Meneley; grandparents Vicki and Robert Moore, Jim and Denise Hawk, and Don and Vicki Moormeister; Aunts and Uncles Lisa Leininger, Loriann Gregory, Ed Gregory, Scott and Sarah Ramsey, Tami Mallory, Traci and Frank Orozco, Shawn and Gordon Karlsson, Carin and Eric Harris; Great Aunt Chicki Stanley; Cousins Quentin and Alyssa Gregory, Marissa Ramsey, Jonathon Leland, Winter Jarman, Asher Jahnke; Second Cousins JJ Stanley, Sarah Rose Stanley, Lucy Stanley, Paul Stanley, Tricia Castaneda and family; beloved niece Madelyn Defries; her cats Sophie and Chester who are in the loving hands of special friend Justin Steward; special friends Diego Alonso and Kelsey and Joel Riley; numerous distant relatives and the community who loved her. If you knew Shayla, then you know how special and loved she was and also how much she loved all she knew.

The family honors Shayla’s wishes in foregoing a memorial service. She instead asks that you celebrate her life by taking a vacation of self-exploration or with those you love and hold most dear. It is with great thanks and heartfelt gratitude that we look forward to celebrating memories of her life and time with us. We thank everyone for the love and support shared during our time of grief. Special thanks to Davenport’s Chapel of the Good Shepherd and Klamath Memorial Cemetery

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