Leslie Yau was born in Taishan, Guangdong, China. At the age of eight she contracted tuberculosis of the spine, a condition that shaped much of her early life. From 1966 to 1971 she attended rehabilitation training at Princess Alexandra Red Cross Residential School, learning resilience at an age when most children are simply learning to play.

Wearing leg braces and using arm crutches, Leslie immigrated to the United States with her parents and siblings in 1973. Determined to build a future in her adopted country, she mastered English, earned her GED in 1981, and proudly became a United States citizen in 1983.

She began her career working in banking as a data entry clerk and later served as a contract Data Analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice, where she met her future husband. Committed to lifelong learning, she earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Computer Information Systems in 1996.

Leslie went on to serve the City of Chicago in several roles, including the Personnel Department, the Police Training Academy Exam Unit, and later the Department of Business Information Systems, from which she retired.

Despite tremendous physical challenges throughout her life, Leslie never allowed them to stand between herself and the world. She was known for her intelligence, directness, and strength of will. Those who met her were struck not by her limitations, but by her clarity, determination, and character.