On October 9th, Nigel Leeming passed on to the other side of the heavenly gates. He was in his home, surrounded by the sounds of his family and friends who were sharing stories of his life with classic rock playing softly on the speakers. The low rumble of joy mirrored how Nigel built his restaurants. Hanging in his restaurant is the sign “a neighbourhood place” - Nigel was a man who worked to see the best in people, who strove to find purpose in every challenge, and who believed that our love of family and friends is stronger than any other force.

Born in 1956 in Croydon, England, as the middle child to Dr. Brian and June Leeming with his four siblings. The family returned to New Zealand in 1959 on a ship - the HMS Rangitata - before he was three where he attended several schools: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Epsom, NZ; Saint Peter’s College in Auckland, NZ; and then Saint Patrick’s College Silverstream in Wellington, NZ. As a young gent he was savvy on the tennis court and rugby field, and he was an outgoing child with many friends.

He moved to Brookline, Massachusetts with the family in 1971 where Nigel attended Brookline High School. Nigel immediately embraced American life and culture - he fit in right away, played on the tennis team, and made lifelong friends. Upon graduating from high school he went on to Boston College where he majored in English and continued to play rugby.

Forged from these formative years, Nigel’s dynamic character, endless optimism, and warm heart led him to pursue a life as a restaurateur. A few years down the road, Nigel found himself in the Garden State, New Jersey.

A mutual friend’s wedding brought him to a bar in New Jersey where he “first laid eyes on Liz.” Turning on his signature charm, the two got to talking, and Liz wrote her number on the back of a cocktail napkin. The two were quick to fall for each other, and were married in 1981 in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. As a pair of newlyweds, they continued on the path of serving communities through excellent food. They are most famous for their work in founding and maintaining Murphy’s on the Green in Hanover, NH for the past 35 years.

Since landing in the Upper Valley, Nigel and Liz had four children: Courtney - married to Will Sheehy with two children, Grant and Emma; Bryanne - married to Tim O’Leary with a son, Declan; Trevor - married to Jessie Leeming with two children, Hailey and Brian; Brendon - married to Alexa Leeming this past September.

Nigel’s greatest joy was always in spending time with his family. When the children were young, if he was not at the restaurant he was on the sidelines of all the sporting events, dancing at birthday parties, or ensuring there was always a healthy amount of silliness - never to miss an opportunity to pretend to blow his nose in some tissue paper. He was always their biggest champion, and routinely celebrated the people they became.

As the family grew and spread across the country, it was a priority for him that everyone remain close no matter how many miles were between them. A close friend of Nigel remarked that “if your children want to come home as adults, then it means you did something right.” With this spirit of gathering close to his core, Nigel and Liz moved around the Upper Valley looking for the perfect home for the children to gather. Eventually Nigel found the back of Moose Mountain and named the place “The Leeming Ranch.” When the children returned home, Nigel loved to engineer “projects” for everyone to complete - always looking for ways to spend time with his loved ones in the woods, cultivating flower gardens, building new firepits, creating structures for grandchildren to explore, or gathering around a hot meal. He wanted his children to feel connected to the land, spend meaningful time with each other, and always know that home has room for them. He worked hard to create a place where people were present and the distractions of the world faded away - he thought fondly of his freedom in childhood and wanted others to experience it.

In his later years, Nigel crafted his own philosophy - deemed the “triangle of happiness” - that was shaped from his family. He joyfully shared with all of those who would listen that happiness is achieved through finding the right significant other - Liz and Nigel are the perfect complementary team; living in a community where you feel valued and contribute - the family was quick to be involved in all elements of Hanover; and finding a talent arena of meaningful work - Nigel loved bringing people together at Murphy’s, it brought him such joy to know all of the names and faces of the community. He had dreams of writing a book titled “cocktail napkin happiness” - an allusion to how he and Liz built such a beautiful life together - that was never penned because he was always in-motion bringing people together.

To celebrate his life and impact on us, Nigel’s wake will be held on October 15th, 2026 at Rand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hanover, NH from 4-6pm. The service to honor him will be held on October 16th, 2026 at Saint Denis Catholic Church in Hanover, NH at a 10 am Mass. After the service, there will be a gathering in honor of Nigel at Murphy’s on the Green.

The family asks that all who mourn with us forgo the flowers, gifts, donations that ordinarily act as expressions of care. Instead, please carry forward the legacy of Nigel by loving each other wholly, serving those around us, exclaiming “bonzer!” (Kiwi slang for 'first-rate'), and forever bringing people together for a better tomorrow.