Leon LeRoy Rich, 85
Leon LeRoy Rich, 85, fell asleep in Christ on Jan. 30, 2008 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's and two strokes in March 2006.
Although, wheelchair-bound for almost two years, he accepted his physical limitations with grace and enjoyed the attention of those who loved and cared for him.
Leon was born on Jan. 25, 1923, to Lewis Allen and Bessie (Wiswell) Rich in Glendale, Calif. He married his high school sweetheart, Vivienne Margaret Mountain on Sept. 6, 1943. By October 1943, he had been inducted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a medic at O'Reilly General Hospital in Springfield, Mo. He was discharged from military service on April 30, 1946.
Under the GI bill, Leon took a lab and X-ray technician course, but soon realized he didn't enjoy being confined to the indoors. His real talents lay in the building trade, especially in the area of remodeling. He worked in the area of carpentry and maintenance for most of his career.
In 1982, Leon and Vivienne purchased property overlooking the Pend Oreille River. Leon began building a home on this land in 1983, doing most of the labor himself. It was his last creative endeavor, before developing Parkinson's, which had also afflicted his father. With the house was mostly completed in 1984, Vivienne retired from her school nurse position in California, and joined him in their new home.
Although early on Parkinson's limited him to some extent, he still enjoyed working on small projects for family and friends. He was also lead out in the SDA Community Service Center for many years.
He is survived by Vivienne, his loving wife of 64 years; and four children, Darrell LeRoy and wife, Suzanne of Three Rivers, Calif., Lewis Arthur and wife, Karol of Sandpoint, Idaho, Dennis Lee and wife Shirlee of Bozeman, Mont., Donna Lynn Schmidt and husband Wally of Sandpoint; plus nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Leon has a brother Harold and wife, Mary Lou who live in College Place, Wash.; and a sister, Ruth and husband Richard Norman of Lindsay, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his older sister, Alladene Scheideman of Porterville, Calif.
He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends. As a life-long member of the Seventh-day Adventist church, Leon would have appreciated your donation to the Sandpoint Junior Academy or to the charity of your choice in lieu of flowers.
A memorial service is planned for early April here in Sandpoint.