Leo R. Mealman

Leo Ray Mealman was born December 17, 1934 to Mabel and Delbert Mealman outside Fort Scott, Kansas.  Growing up in rural, southeast Kansas provided Leo, along with his three brothers (Eugene, Richard and Dale) and one sister (Marie), a multitude of life experiences that can only be obtained growing up on a depression area farm. 

 

Leo graduated from Union Town High School in 1953 and set out to find his calling in life while always remembering to enjoy himself along the way.  Professionally Leo tried his hand in anything and everything including owning a gas station, driving an ambulance, fry cook, school teacher and many other occupations all around the Fort Scott area.  Leo finally found his calling as an insurance agent with Monarch Life in 1958.   Leo always believed he had the best job in the world because of the freedom it allowed; anyone knowing Leo knows a desk job was never in the cards for him.  Leo was wildly successful in his career earning top sales awards on numerous occasions.  Leo continued selling thru 2008 a remarkable achievement by any standards made even more amazing given it was one of his best years of his career.

 

At the ripe age of 19 Leo met Donna Jean Larimore, at the Fort Scott Teen Town Dance.  Leo turned on his charm, flashed his baby blue eyes and Donna was hooked.  After a brief engagement Leo and Donna married on February 24^TH a year later, a friendship and partnership that lasted for an amazing 53 years.  Leo and Donna lived in and around the southeast Kansas/southwest Missouri area for several years always enjoying themselves and making friends at every stop.  In 1963 Leo and Donna took the next step in Life and started a family with their first daughter Carla followed shortly by their second daughter Karen in 1965.  The final addition was their son Michael in 1972 which completed the family of five.  Leo was a tremendous provider, role model and friend to each of his children in good and difficult times.

 

Leo is not only an excellent father, but a loving and giving grandfather to all four of his grandchildren and an awesome and loving father-in-law.  Tabitha (daughter of Carla), Kali, Chad (daughter and son of Karen) and Addison (daughter of Mike) all share loving memories of their Pa/Papa.  Leo was always the adoring grandfather who always had a tickle, a smile and a hug ready the minute they walked in the door.   You hear the stories of in-laws………….Garry, Kent and Shelby will tell you that Leo was the best father-in-law anyone could ever have.  Leo and Donna accepted them in the family as one of their own kids.  They Thank You Both!!

 

Outside of the family and professional life, Leo knew how to have fun unlike many others.  Leo loved to play golf, fish, and hunt, follow sports on TV and always had a joke on hand.   Early on he shared these activities with friends and then with his son.  Many a weekend revolved around getting up early on a Saturday with Michael to fish in the spring and summer or hunt in the winter.  Michael and Leo also spent many days and hours on golf courses around the country.  Always the swashbuckler, Leo loved hitting the ball further than anyone else and never saw a par 5 he didn’t think he couldn’t reach in two.  It was always an accomplishment to beat Leo even well into his seventies.  Leo loved to follow his favorite teams on TV and Radio.  Rarely did he miss a KU basketball, Chiefs or Royals game.  Michael always waited by the phone after every KU and Chiefs game waiting for Leo to call to talk about what just occurred.  These conversations will be missed.

 

Leo’s reach extended well beyond that of his family.  Leo was always active in something; whether it be as a Shawnee City Councilman, Home Owners Association President or leading men’s Bible studies early in the morning, Leo was always willing to step up and take the lead.  Leo has influenced people’s lives in unimaginable ways throughout the years.  Letters from children’s friends, business acquaintances and others have shed just a small light on the impact Leo had on the lives of others. 

 

Any discussion of Leo would be incomplete if his sense of humor was not mentioned, perhaps the one thing people remember most about him.  He never passed up the opportunity to pull a practical joke, startle, shock or entertain both friends and perfect strangers.  Regardless of how we know Leo, we all share one thing in common….we all were on the receiving end of at least one of his numerous jokes. 

 

Always a devout Christian, there is no doubt that Leo is smiling, looking down on us from either a tee box or boat whistling in that wonderful tone that is unmistakably Leo.

 

Memorial contributions in memory of Leo may be made to the Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care or the Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

 

Visitation and Funeral Services

 

A visitation will be held Friday, July 24, 2009,  from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee. A Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday also at Amos.

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