Leroy Leise
Leroy “Roy” Howard Leise, 89, of Portersville peacefully passed away at Paramount Senior Living in Cranberry Township on Wednesday morning, Sept. 30, 2020.
Born Feb. 3, 1931, on his family farm in Muddy Creek Township, he was the son of the late Howard “Pete” Gilmer and Mary “Tillie” Matilda Barkley Leise.
He was a proud U.S. Army veteran, who honorably served during the Korean War, earning the rank of staff sergeant.From a young age, he was a hard worker and helped provide for his family as he worked on his family farm. In his teens, he helped operate a sawmill.In the late 1940s, he attended Portersville High School and then left for the military, where he was trained as a mechanic in the U.S. Army.He returned home and served as a Muddy Creek Township supervisor and performed road maintenance. While employed by Mathews Conveyor in Ellwood City, he married and started having a family of his own. His wife and six children were displaced by the formation of Lake Arthur. In 1964, he moved his family to their lifelong home on Route 488 between Prospect and Portersville, where his family continued to grow.He worked as a heavy equipment mechanic and welder for the Kerry Coal Co. After retirement, he worked for Cable Hardwoods in Portersville, and he was a contract worker for PennDOT.Leroy was an avid outdoorsman, who enjoyed gardening, hunting and hiking. After retirement, he traveled with his wife and enjoyed bluegrass music festivals.He is survived by his children, Thomas (Lucia) Leise of Connecticut, Susan (James) Kradel of Butler, Patricia (Anthony) Kiefer of Portersville, Timothy (Chrissy) Leise of Prospect, Janet Leise of Prospect, Scott (Jamie) Leise of Slippery Rock, Teresa (Karl) Portner of North Carolina, Dennis Leise of Indiana, Daryl Leise of Prospect, and James (Colleen); his grandchildren, Joseph, Emilia, Maria, Sara, Jessica, Savana, Anthony III, Michael, Kevin and Gregory, Charles and Samantha; his great-grandchildren, Haden, Heidi, Henry, Margaret and Dereck; his siblings, James (Barbara) Leise of Slippery Rock and Freda Joan Courtney of Prospect; and a number of nieces and nephews.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret “Peg” Leise, whom he married Sept. 15, 1956, and who died Feb. 24, 2015; his sisters, Blanche Durnell and Violet Cratty; and his brothers, Hope Leise and Glenn Leise.LEISE — Public visitation for Leroy “Roy” Howard Leise, who died Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Raisley Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 387 Main St., Prospect.The family will have a private entombment with military honors Saturday at Greenlawn Burial Estates, Butler.Memorial contributions may be made to Butler County Special Olympics, P.O. Box 2561, Butler PA 16003, or Alzheimer's Association, 2835 E. Carson St., Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15203.To leave an online tribute, go to www.raisleyfuneralhome.com.
