Maurice Wesley Leese

Maurice Wesley Leese, age 95, of Goetzville, Michigan, died on March 25, 2018 in Petoskey, Michigan. He was born on April 27, 1922 in Rochester, Michigan to Herman Bernerd and Bertha Maude (Bodey) Leese. Maurice grew up in the thumb area of Michigan and moved to Wolverine, Michigan in 1936. He graduated from Wolverine High School. He joined the Army Air Corp in 1942 and was an armored gunner on a B17 plane in Europe. After his return he worked at the livestock yard as a weighmaster. He married Marie A. Reeves on July 6, 1952 in Gaylord, Michigan. They raised four children while Maurice worked as an electrical lineman for several different contractors including the electrical work on the Mackinac Bridge. He retired in 1984 after over 30 years of work. They moved to the Eastern Upper Peninsula in 1993 and made Goetzville their home. Maurice was a 68 year member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local #876. Maurice loved being outdoors; farming, hunting, and vegetable gardening. He enjoyed model trains and watching any kind of baseball. Maurice is survived by his daughters, Rhonda (Kevin) Ford of Wolverine, Kayla (Dan) Jones of Gaylord; son, Gordon (Linda) Leese of Pickford, Michigan; daughter-in-law, Denise Leese of Wolverine; grandchildren, Joshua, Tierra, Tasha, Jodie, Adam, Karla, Leesa, Bradley, Caroline, Valerie, Kristol, Danielle, Daryl, Derrick, and Melissa; great-grandchildren, Blaise, Brooklyn, Easton, Morgan, Victoria, Logan, Steven, Shawn, Adler, Audrie, Veronika, Colette, Natasha, Brandon, Xandra, Kade, Hali, Ty, Brayden, Taylor, Rialyn, Wesley, Elexandrya, and Aspyn; great-great grandsons, Blake, Bridynn, Baylor, Aiden, and Dominic; brothers, Herman (Marie) Leese of Bear Lake, Michigan, Charles (Pat) Leese of Boyne City, Michigan; sisters, Wilma Higley of Caro, Michigan, Charlotte Wolf of Alanson, Michigan, Gwendolyn Smith of Wolverine, Rachel (Bill) Marcotte of Wolverine, Carrie Jean Etts of Wolverine; and brother-in-law, George Arnold (Marilyn) Reeves of Wolverine. Maurice was preceded in death by his wife, Marie Leese; son, Randolph Leese; infant brother, Roger Leese; sister, Vera (Bernerd) Horn; brothers-in-law, Louie Higley, Earl Wolf, Abner Smith, Floyd “Ed” Reeves; and sister-in-law, Florence Clementson. Visitation will be held on March 30, 2018 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 P.M. at R. Galer Funeral Home in Pickford, Michigan. Funeral service is to follow at 2:00 P.M. Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery, in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made Payable to the Raber Township Hall, P.O. Box 208, Goetzville, MI 49736, Memo: Senior Dinners/Meals on Wheels. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rgalerfuneralhome.com.

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Maurice Wesley Leese

April 27, 1922 - March 25, 2018