Joseph Leroy Liechty

Joseph L. Liechty died at home Tuesday morning, June 14, 2005 from leukemia, surrounded by his loving family. Joe was born in Nampa, Idaho on February 15, 1927, the son of John Phillip Liechty and Coral Allen Liechty.

He graduated from Nampa Senior High School in 1945 with high honors. He was a 4-year letterman in football. Captain and quarterback his senior year, also Student Body President, Band President and cartoonist for his high school's yearbook. He excelled in all sports including basketball and baseball.

During WWII, on his 18th birthday he enlisted and proudly served in the United States Navy. Upon his discharge as Seaman First Class he married his life long friend and high school sweetheart, Bonnie Lewis on October 26, 1946 in Boise, Idaho.

He attended Boise Junior College, Weber College and studied with noted local artists at the Ogden Art Institute. He continually studied with nationally acclaimed artists at workshops and seminars throughout his 30-year career as a graphic artist and technical illustrator in the aerospace industry with Thiokol and Hill Air Force Base. He was an honor graduate from the U.S. Air Force Training Command courses at Sheppard Air Force Base (1969).

He also continued to paint in fine arts and his work has appeared in various exhibits in the intermountain area, and he has works in both corporate and private collections. One of his oils depicts an F-16 airplane over the Northern Wasatch mountains, entitled "Coming Home" and it hangs in the Air Force Museum at Roy, Utah. One of his greatest joys was teaching art classes at the Ogden Golden Hour Center.

He was a member of the River Parkway Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He was a tender, compassionate giant of a man. His family was the center of his life and he thoroughly enjoyed camping, fishing, kayaking and golf with his sons and grandsons. His broad interests included the opera, symphonies and ballet.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Bonnie and their adored three sons, Mark Lewis Liechty (Kathleen), Michael John Liechty (Jeanne) of Fruit Heights and Matthew Scott Liechty (Anna) of Chandler, AZ. The light of his life in his later years were his grandsons, Christopher John Liechty and Joshua Joseph Liechty of Ogden and Joseph Alexander Liechty of Chandler, AZ, Jessica, Karma and Andrew of Salem, OR and one sister, Ella Rae Otten of Salem, UT.

He was preceded in death by his parents and in-laws, Lloyd and Grace Lewis.
VisitationMyers Mortuary - Ogden
100 Monroe Blvd.
Ogden, UT 84404
June 17, 2005
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
ServiceMyers Mortuary of Ogden
845 Washington Blvd.
Ogden, UT 84404
June 18, 2005
11:00 AM
CemeteryOgden City Cemetery
20th and Madison
Ogden, UT 84404
June 18, 2005