William Gayle "Tex" Leonard passed away Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Fort Worth.
Gayle was born Nov. 8, 1921, in Sipe Springs to Nonnie and Mae Leonard. He grew up on a farm and served in the United States Army Air Corps with the 100th Bomb Group flying 25 missions out of Royal Air Force Thorpe Abbotts Airfield in England. He worked in retail sales at Everybody's and Leonard Bros. and retired from J.C. Penney. Gayle was a Mason for 61 years and served as master multiple times with Sipe Springs Lodge 537, which later merged with Armstrong Lodge 445 in De Leon. He loved country music and attended the Bob Wills Festival in Turkey almost yearly. He also loved to dance. He was a Southern Baptist.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years, Roberta Smith Leonard; and brothers, Cecil, Damon, Donald and "Punkin."
Survivors: Daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jim Reed; granddaughter, Kelly Colie; great-granddaughter, Samantha Moseley; brothers, George and Ronnie; and many nieces and nephews.
Gayle was born Nov. 8, 1921, in Sipe Springs to Nonnie and Mae Leonard. He grew up on a farm and served in the United States Army Air Corps with the 100th Bomb Group flying 25 missions out of Royal Air Force Thorpe Abbotts Airfield in England. He worked in retail sales at Everybody's and Leonard Bros. and retired from J.C. Penney. Gayle was a Mason for 61 years and served as master multiple times with Sipe Springs Lodge 537, which later merged with Armstrong Lodge 445 in De Leon. He loved country music and attended the Bob Wills Festival in Turkey almost yearly. He also loved to dance. He was a Southern Baptist.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years, Roberta Smith Leonard; and brothers, Cecil, Damon, Donald and "Punkin."
Survivors: Daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jim Reed; granddaughter, Kelly Colie; great-granddaughter, Samantha Moseley; brothers, George and Ronnie; and many nieces and nephews.
William Gayle "Tex" Leonard passed away Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, in Fort Worth.
Gayle was born Nov. 8, 1921, in Sipe Springs to Nonnie and Mae Leonard. He grew up on a farm and served in the United States Army Air Corps with the 100th Bomb Group flying 25 missions out of Royal Air Force Thorpe Abbotts Airfield in England. He worked in retail sales at Everybody's and Leonard Bros. and retired from J.C. Penney. Gayle was a Mason for 61 years and served as master multiple times with Sipe Springs Lodge 537, which later merged with Armstrong Lodge 445 in De Leon. He loved country music and attended the Bob Wills Festival in Turkey almost yearly. He also loved to dance. He was a Southern Baptist.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years, Roberta Smith Leonard; and brothers, Cecil, Damon, Donald and "Punkin."
Survivors: Daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jim Reed; granddaughter, Kelly Colie; great-granddaughter, Samantha Moseley; brothers, George and Ronnie; and many nieces and nephews.
Gayle was born Nov. 8, 1921, in Sipe Springs to Nonnie and Mae Leonard. He grew up on a farm and served in the United States Army Air Corps with the 100th Bomb Group flying 25 missions out of Royal Air Force Thorpe Abbotts Airfield in England. He worked in retail sales at Everybody's and Leonard Bros. and retired from J.C. Penney. Gayle was a Mason for 61 years and served as master multiple times with Sipe Springs Lodge 537, which later merged with Armstrong Lodge 445 in De Leon. He loved country music and attended the Bob Wills Festival in Turkey almost yearly. He also loved to dance. He was a Southern Baptist.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years, Roberta Smith Leonard; and brothers, Cecil, Damon, Donald and "Punkin."
Survivors: Daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Jim Reed; granddaughter, Kelly Colie; great-granddaughter, Samantha Moseley; brothers, George and Ronnie; and many nieces and nephews.
