Longtime Businessman Donald Leach of Hiawatha, died December 9, 2020, at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka with complications associated with diabetes and covid.  He was 72.

Don was born January 3, 1948, at Lebanon, MO, one of three children born to Charlie and Marie Zimmerman Leach.  He grew up in Andrew County, Missouri area where he graduated from Rosendale High School. Don was an Army veteran of the Vietnam conflict, where the service not only took him to Vietnam, but later Germany, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division.  Don was wounded in action and received a purple heart, discharged at the rank of PFC (E3) in 1967.

Don soon started driving a tractor-trailer rig over the road, hauling various commodities all across the United States, from 1970 until 1988.  Don has always had a passion for cars and from 1988 until 1997, sold used cars in Hiawatha.  He not only sold cars, he also enjoyed restoring them, fact of the matter, he enjoyed restoring anything!   PLUS everything…was meticulously clean! Then starting in 1997 until the present, Don owned and operated a tractor trailer, hauling grain for many of the farmers in northeast Kansas known as the “Blue Angel”, his CB handle.

Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, and boating.  You would never feature Don being a tomato garden guy, but he was!

He was hauling grain for the White Cloud Elevator.  Beverly Lackey was hauling grain for her dad to the elevator. Don wanted to know who the girl was driving the tractor with the wagons…and the rest is history!  They married in 1970 and have made Hiawatha their home where they raised their two sons:  Donny & Curtis.  Bev survives at the home.

Also surviving their two sons:  Curtis Leach (Myrietta) of Hayes, KS, Donnie Leach (Billie Jo) of Lincoln, NE, a son by a previous marriage Charlie Leach (Noel) of Ellis, KS; a brother John Leach of W Monroe, LA, a sister Linda Sanchez of Kansas City, MO; three grandchildren:  Kaelin Leach, Mason Leach, and Hayden Leach.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter Tonya Marie, and brother in law Gil Sanchez.

Friends may call at Chapel Oaks Funeral Home from 10 until 5 Monday afternoon.  The rosary will be recited at 10:30 Tuesday morning, December 15, followed by a service at 11 a.m., at the funeral home.  Burial will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Hiawatha with military honors a courtesy of U.S. Army and Brown County Honor Guard.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Don Leach Memorial Fund, sent in care of the funeral home.

Those wanting to leave a message or remembrance to the family may do so to www.chapeloaksfuneralhome.com

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