David Lawrence Leland's Obituary
David Leland, 74, of The Villages, FL passed away Sunday, April 9, 2017. Dave was born May 31, 1942 in Wabash, IN to Adrian O. and Pearl E. (Hopp) Leland. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War serving in the U.S. Air Force. David retired as a chemist from Promega Corporation in Fitchburg, WI and moved to The Villages from Verona, WI in 2012. Prior to his work at Promega, David worked at Miles Laboratories and lived in Elkhart, IN. He received his master’s degree from Indiana University in 1973 and graduated from Wabash High School in 1960. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. Dave had a passion for rock and roll music and lived to play sports, especially golfing and bowling. He loved watching and rooting for the Indiana University Hoosiers, the Chicago Bears, and, as a lifetime fan, was thrilled to finally see a Chicago Cubs World Series win in 2016. Survivors include his loving and caring wife of 48 years, Karen (Kaib); daughters, Dawn Jenkins (Jim) of Shelby Township, MI and Tracy Clementi (Steve) of Greenfield, WI; sister, Beverly P. Morgan of Phoenix, AZ; brother, Thomas J. Leland of Mishawaka, IN and four grandchildren – Abigail, Grace, Vincent and Marisa. He will also be missed by Karen’s family members, his many friends and former co-workers. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 1:00 pm, Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Wildwood FL. Visitation will be prior to the Mass from 12:00-1:00 pm. Donations in Dave’s memory may be directed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Attn: Development Department, 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44114. Or, contributions may be made to the Ron & Vicky Santo Diabetic Alert Dog Foundation, www.ronsantofoundation.com.
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