Gary Morris Leonard
Marriages
Nancy Helen Muns - January 14, 1967
Odessa, TX
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7 B Obituary - October 7, 2015
Gary Morris Leonard
August 25, 1939 - October 3, 2015
Gary Morris Leonard entered into glory on October 3, 2015, at
his home in Battlement Mesa, CO; he was 76 years old. He lived a full and interesting life, and was greatly loved by his family and friends.
Gary was born in Chicago, IL, to Forrest Virgil and Kathryn
Ida (Morris) Leonard on August 25, 1939, and was delivered by his paternal grandfather, George R. Leonard, M.D. He grew up in Winchester, IN, and graduated from Winchester High School in 1957. He graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, IN, in 1961 with a BA degree in Economics.
He worked for a year at the Social Security Administration before enlisting in the U.S. Army. During his Army career of 33
months, he spent 18 months in Eritrea, in northern Africa and
completed his Army career at Fort Bragg, NC. From 1966
through 1971, he worked for Shell Oil Company in New Orleans, LA where he met his wife of 48 years, Nancy Helen
Muns. They were married in Odessa, TX, on January 14, 1967.
He received his Optometry Doctorate Degree at the University
of Houston, Houston, TX. Between 1977 and the end of 2004
when he retired, Gary practiced Optometry, first in Angleton,
TX, then in Abilene, TX, and lastly in Odessa, TX.
He attended the Methodist Church beginning in childhood up
until he moved to Battlement Mesa in 2005, when he and Nancy joined Grace Bible Church. He participated in Promise Keepers and Walk to Emmaus. He and Nancy have been co-treasurers for Grace Bible Church for the past eight years. During their years in Angleton and Abilene, he and Nancy cared for numerous foster children. Since moving to Battlement Mesa, he had been active in Kiwanis and participated in the Sheriffs Auxiliary.
Gary loved to play golf, coached his children in baseball and
soccer, enthusiastically rooted for baseball’s Chicago Cubs, football’s Chicago Bears, and basketball’s Indiana University
Hoosiers, and attended Parachute High School’s football and basketball games.
During retirement, he and Nancy enjoyed an Alaskan Cruise, a
European River Cruise, and a trip to the Holy Land.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his children, David Leonard
(Kerry) of Battlement Mesa; Laura Weeks (Patrick) of Anchorage, AK; Jose Chairez, Jr. of Abilene, TX; brother, Dale Leonard (Betsy) of Battlement Mesa; four grandchildren, Danielle Williams, Aaron Leonard, Allison Weeks, and Taylor Weeks; four step-grandchildren, Kelsey Pointer, Brooklin, Elissa, and Dominique Cantu, and two great-grandchildren, Alden and Logan Williams.
Services will be on October 10, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Bible Church in Battlement Mesa.
