Melvin LeRoy Leary

1923 ~ 2019

Melvin LeRoy Leary—father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather—passed away peacefully at home on Friday January 25, 2019 at the age of 95.

He was born October 10, 1923 to William and Clara Naschcke Leary in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Melvin graduated from South High School in 1941 where he participated in track and field. He was employed by ASARCO Inc. until March 1943. He then began three years of service in the Army during World War II. He married Elaine Koer on March 23, 1948 in the Salt Lake Temple. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1952 in Civil Engineering and continued his employment as Project and Design Engineer with ASARCO until his retirement in 1985. He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in many capacities while the family lived in Colorado, Montana, Arizona, and Utah. With his wife, he served a mission for the Church in the Pennsylvania Harrisburg Mission, the Salt Lake Inner City Service Mission and as guides at Welfare Square. He also found great joy in serving as a volunteer at Heartland Elementary and East Midvale Elementary school where he helped the resource children with their reading, math, and spelling. He will always be remembered for his love for genealogy, and Peanut MandM's.

He is survived by his children Wayne (Susanne), Barbara, Joseph (Liz), and John (Kori), twelve grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, and his sister Marlene Doxey.

He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, sister Clara, brothers George and Bill.

Funeral services will be held at the Stratford Ward (2635 S 1500 E SLC, UT) on Saturday February 2, 2019 at 12 noon. A viewing will be held from 10-11:30 at the church prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the missionary fund, or donate to LDS Philanthropies .