Leo J. Dacey

Leo J. Dacey, 77, of Mountain Home, Ark. died Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Hospice House in Mountain Home after a long battle with COPD. He was born in Newark, N.J. on July 2, 1937. Leo lived for many years in Brielle, N.J. and Stuart, Fla., before moving to Mountain Home, Ark. in 2005. A 1955 graduate of Nutley High School in Nutley, N.J., Leo earned a degree in Economics from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. in 1959 where he played on the football team, was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and graduated cum laude. Leo was drafted into the US Army in March, 1960. After basic training at Fort Dix in Lakehurst, N.J., he served six months at Fort Gordon, Ga. and went on to serve four years in the New Jersey National Guard stationed out of Passaic, N.J., spending two weeks each year at Fort Drum, N.Y. Leo retired from Xerox early in life after a career in sales and went on to spend decades as a fishing captain running charters primarily out of Brielle, N.J. and Port St. Lucie, Fla. After many years as a deep sea fisherman, Leo spent his later years fly fishing for trout mostly in the pristine waterways of the Ozarks. Leo was a self-described "nomadic fisherman." Well traveled, Leo visited every US state and many national parks. He was a nature lover, an avid reader, a lifelong football fan, and a genuinely good and funny guy. The family would like to thank the good people of Mountain Home, Ark. for their friendship and hospitality. Leo was predeceased by his parents, Leo C. Dacey and Estelle K. Dacey. He is survived by a sister Kathleen M. Dacey of Brick, N.J., a brother Dennis C. Dacey of Key West, Fla., a nephew L. Patrick Dacey of Wall, N.J., a niece Meghan Walker of Oceanport, N.J., and four great nieces and nephews. Donations may be made in Leo's name to Baxter County Library Foundation, 300 Library Hill, Mountain Home, Ark. 72653. For further information or to send condolences to the family please contact Meghan Walker at meghan_walker@comcast.net or Patrick Dacey at pdacey1@gmail.com.