Obituary
Robert DeWayne Leonard, Sr., Obituary
Robert DeWayne Leonard was born Nov 11, 1932, in Herrold, Iowa, the eighth of eleven children of Ralph and Maggie (Thorne) Leonard. He passed away suddenly at his home in Des Moines on December 2, 2019.
Bob grew up poor but knew how to work hard and had the drive to build a better life and shared his good fortune with others. Young Bob was a gifted athlete -- he was a lightning-fast runner who competed barefoot because his old shoes slowed him down, and he had a life-long passion for high school and college wrestling fuelled by the successful careers of his son and grandson. Bob graduated from Johnston High School in 1951 and married his high-school sweetheart, Marilynn Joyce Fenner in 1952. They welcomed their first child, Rob the next year and soon after came Stephanie then Nancy. Bob and Marilynn lived in the Des Moines and Johnston area most of their lives and raised their three children and helped raise their grandchildren Jess and Greg there. Bob had a long career as a skilled carpenter and contractor. He was a part-owner of Leonard Jeffries Construction Company and built many houses in Des Moines and throughout central Iowa. He was known for being able to climb up a ladder with a bundle of shingles on each shoulder. His contracting business was nearly destroyed during the farm crisis of the 1980s, but he and Marilynn persevered and he kept building until he retired in the late 1990s.
Bob served as a Councilman for the City of Johnston in the 1970s and was part of the team that drew up the 40-year zoning and development plan that has guided the city ever since. He was a member of the Johnston Lions Club and the Auburn Masonic Temple, the Des Moines Consistory, and the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine. In later years, he enjoyed spending time with his great-grandchildren, having breakfast with family and friends, relished an occasional visit to play the slots at Prairie Meadows, and got a big kick out of joking around with the nurses when he was sick.
Bob will be remembered for his steadfast hard work, his irreverent sense of humor, and his devotion to his family. He leaves behind his son Robert D. Leonard, Jr. (Anne), daughters Stephanie (Carl) Brown and Nancy (Rodney) Green; grandchildren Jessica (Paul) Keller, Gregory Roorda, Asa Leonard, and Johanna Leonard; and great-grandchildren Max, Mason, Sydney, and Sam Donahue, and Jackson and Everett Roorda. He is preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Maggie Leonard, wife Marilynn (Fenner) Leonard, and brothers Leo, Ralph, Richard, and James Leonard; and sisters Frances Blakely, Verna Wulf, Juanita Wright, Doris Clayton, Jean Howell, and Jackie Riggs.
A Celebration of Life for Bob will be held 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 21st, 2019, at the home of Paul and Jessica Keller at 701 Stonegate Court, Altoona, IA. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Heart Association or the charity of your choice.
Robert DeWayne Leonard was born Nov 11, 1932, in Herrold, Iowa, the eighth of eleven children of Ralph and Maggie (Thorne) Leonard. He passed away suddenly at his home in Des Moines on December 2, 2019.
Bob grew up poor but knew how to work hard and had the drive to build a better life and shared his good fortune with others. Young Bob was a gifted athlete -- he was a lightning-fast runner who competed barefoot because his old shoes slowed him down, and he had a life-long passion for high school and college wrestling fuelled by the successful careers of his son and grandson. Bob graduated from Johnston High School in 1951 and married his high-school sweetheart, Marilynn Joyce Fenner in 1952. They welcomed their first child, Rob the next year and soon after came Stephanie then Nancy. Bob and Marilynn lived in the Des Moines and Johnston area most of their lives and raised their three children and helped raise their grandchildren Jess and Greg there. Bob had a long career as a skilled carpenter and contractor. He was a part-owner of Leonard Jeffries Construction Company and built many houses in Des Moines and throughout central Iowa. He was known for being able to climb up a ladder with a bundle of shingles on each shoulder. His contracting business was nearly destroyed during the farm crisis of the 1980s, but he and Marilynn persevered and he kept building until he retired in the late 1990s.
Bob served as a Councilman for the City of Johnston in the 1970s and was part of the team that drew up the 40-year zoning and development plan that has guided the city ever since. He was a member of the Johnston Lions Club and the Auburn Masonic Temple, the Des Moines Consistory, and the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine. In later years, he enjoyed spending time with his great-grandchildren, having breakfast with family and friends, relished an occasional visit to play the slots at Prairie Meadows, and got a big kick out of joking around with the nurses when he was sick.
Bob will be remembered for his steadfast hard work, his irreverent sense of humor, and his devotion to his family. He leaves behind his son Robert D. Leonard, Jr. (Anne), daughters Stephanie (Carl) Brown and Nancy (Rodney) Green; grandchildren Jessica (Paul) Keller, Gregory Roorda, Asa Leonard, and Johanna Leonard; and great-grandchildren Max, Mason, Sydney, and Sam Donahue, and Jackson and Everett Roorda. He is preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Maggie Leonard, wife Marilynn (Fenner) Leonard, and brothers Leo, Ralph, Richard, and James Leonard; and sisters Frances Blakely, Verna Wulf, Juanita Wright, Doris Clayton, Jean Howell, and Jackie Riggs.
A Celebration of Life for Bob will be held 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 21st, 2019, at the home of Paul and Jessica Keller at 701 Stonegate Court, Altoona, IA. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Heart Association or the charity of your choice.
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