Leonard
F.
Relue
Obituary
Leonard F. Relue, 83, passed away on June 27, 2024, in Kendallville, IN. He was born in Fort Wayne, IN on April 16, 1941, to the late Gilbert E. and Bernice A. (Kohrman) Relue.
Leonard graduated from Central Catholic High School in Fort Wayne, and was an industrial maintenance engineer at both Peter Eckrich & Sons in Fort Wayne and B.F. Goodrich in Woodburn.
He is preceded in death by his parents, a son Michael, a daughter Elizabeth, siblings Eleanor (Bob) Sarrazine and Jerome Relue and a grandson Andy Villagomez.
Leonard is survived by his children David Relue, Kristine Relue, Kim (Joe Hurley) Relue, Jill (C.J.) Lay and Anthony Relue. He has two surviving sisters, Carolyn (Bill) Reith and Marilyn (John) Bissinger, a brother, Edward (Noreen) Relue, and a sister-in-law, Jane Relue. Also surviving are 10 grandchildren, Mary Kate (Anthony) Burke, Elizabeth (Jake) Slone, Sarah Lay, Savannah Lay, Rachael (Wes Hart) Lay and William Lay; Crystal (Hector Ramirez) Relue, Michael Relue and Estrella Relue; and Max McGinnis; as well as nine great-grandchildren, Michelle, Matthew, A.J. and Riley Burke; Daleyza, Camila and Leylani Ramirez Relue; and Adelyn and Brianna Hart.
Leonard was known for being affable and easy-going to the many friends he had throughout his life and the huge, loving family who adored him. He was distinguished by his sense of humor, always ready with a silly Dad joke or cracking a surprise flash of wit to defuse a difficult situation or deflect a tough question. His smart-aleck wittiness never left him, even when so much of his health, hearing and mobility did. The staff and his fellow residents at Sacred Heart Village, the nursing home where he spent his last year, loved him for his geniality, his quick wit and his "orneriness."
He was an avid bowler for most of his life, bowling in multiple leagues at once in his heyday, until a heart attack forced him to give up the sport in 2000. He was a gamer, whether with a board game, a deck of cards or a casino. He loved the action at a craps table as much for the excitement of social interaction as for the roll of the dice. At home, he was never known to lose at chess ("Whoops–I bumped it.")
His other interests included model trains, which gave him comfort in assisted living when so many of the activities he had formerly enjoyed, like woodworking, were no longer available to him. He loved classic westerns (especially Gunsmoke and anything with John Wayne), coney dogs, cookies and a good nap. He was the one at family get-togethers the little kids had to climb over as he lay stretched out diagonally across the living-room floor, asleep.
He was a genius-level math whiz, able to reproduce complicated algebraic anomalies from memory. When his kids were little, he was a talented artist of birthday cakes, while in later years he loved to perfect his amazing chili recipe.
He was a lifelong sports fan, following the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago White Sox and especially Notre Dame football. The Fighting Irish have inspired a large portion of his attire. At Sacred Heart, he was rarely seen without his Notre Dame ballcap.
His favorite place in the world was at the lake, whether it was the house on Shriner Lake he owned for 17 years, visiting his daughter Kim's place on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia, or decades of family get-togethers at his Aunt Lucille's cottage on Crooked Lake all the way back to his childhood. He loved the peacefulness of taking a boat out on the water, enjoying life as it comes without a lot of trouble or conflict. He was generous, kind and easy to get along with, despite some occasional "grouchiness," as the Sacred Heart staff called it with a wink and a smile, at the frustrations of his declining health interfering with the peace and comfort of his retirement. Despite our grief at his passing, it is at least some small comfort to his loved ones that he is now, with the Lord, truly at peace.
Funeral services for Leonard will take place 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at Divine Mercy Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne, IN. Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Divine Mercy, with a rosary recited at 7:00 p.m. Burial will follow the funeral service at Catholic Cemetery in Fort Wayne.
Memorial contributions in honor of Leonard may be made to Sacred Heart Village, 515 N. Main St., Avilla, IN 46710.
Services
Divine Mercy Funeral Home
Divine Mercy Funeral Home
Divine Mercy Funeral Home
Memorial Contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Village, 515 N. Main St., Avilla, IN 46710
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