Leonard Desmond Messerly

Leonard Desmond Messerly

OGDEN - Leonard Desmond Messerly, age 78, died Sunday, November 17, 2002 of Myelofibrosis and Heart Disease. He was born August 10th, 1924 in Ogden, Utah to John J. Messerly and Mary Louise Grunig. He married Thelma Hancock on April 16th, 1947 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They were married 55 years. He lived in Ogden and Uintah and graduated from Weber High School prior to going into the army. He was a veteran of World War II, where he served in the Pacific Islands. Returning home he worked for the D.D.O. and later retired from Hill Air Force Base as a sheet metal foreman. He received numerous awards. After his retirement, he taught school at the ATC in Ogden.

Leonard was a member of the LDS Lorin Farr 3rd Ward and a former member of the Ogden 21st Ward. He served in many capacities including Finance Clerk, counselor in the Bishopric, Elders Quorum, and Mutual, teacher in high priest quorum, and Home Teacher. He and his wife served with a sealing group at the Ogden temple for twelve years.

He was gifted with his hands in woodworking and fixing many things. He was a hard worker and perfectionist. He built his own family home. His hobbies were making burl clocks, lamps, tables, and restoring old furniture and building many other things. He helped anyone in need.

The family place in Island Park, Idaho was a haven for him. He was always improving it. He enjoyed spending his summer time there with family and friends. He and his wife and friends did RV travel around the country and spent time in Quartzite, Arizona in the winter.

His love for his family was boundless. Together he and his wife had five children; Janet (Brent) Gibson, Plain City; Cheryl Messerly, Ogden; Renae (Robert) Hilton, Layton; Gene Messerly (deceased); and Tamra Beynon, Ogden. He had nine grandchildren that adored him, Brent, Spencer, Joel and Michael Hilton, Jennifer Erickson, Blake, Jay, and Shane Gibson and Carly Messerly. He also had seven great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death are his parents, his son, Gene Messerly, and grandson Michael, his brothers Grant, Ross and Barnard, and sisters Marie Shaw, Ralphine Wright, Muriel Burnham and Ramona Gilgen.

Surviving are his wife and brothers Sherwood and Wayne, sisters Genice Zweifel, Eleen Holley, Donna Fernelius, and Helen Hepworth.

The family would like to thank Dr. Brent Williams and Dr. Vincent Hansen for their care. Also, thanks to Cathy Esplin, RN and the other Hospice caregivers.
VisitationMyers Mortuary - Ogden
100 Monroe Blvd.
Ogden, UT 84404
November 20, 2002
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
ServiceMyers Mortuary of Ogden
845 Washington Blvd.
Ogden, UT 84404
November 21, 2002
11:00 AM
CemeteryWest Weber Cemetery
4592 West 950 North
West Weber, UT 84404
November 21, 2002