Leon Boyce

Leon Boyce, 89, of Little Rock, Arkansas, died Monday, May 26, 2014, at Hospice Home Care. He was born August 8, 1924, on a farm in rural Missouri. The house had no electricity or indoor plumbing. Later the family moved to Ft. Scott, Kansas where he was graduated from High School. He was active in football, his church choir and his senior year he served as class president. Leon was graduated from the University of Kansas Engineering School. He had already enlisted in the Navy and while in Midshipman School he met and dated a Radio City Rockette. Serving as an Ensign on a tiny Pacific Island he went without payor seeing a woman for over nine months. He still isn't sure which was worse. As an Engineer his career covered 40 years with the Kansas City Power & Light where he served as a chief mechanical engineer and land surveyor. He attended Nuclear Reactor School and on several occasions presented papers at Kansas State, M.V., E. A. and the American Power Conferences. Leon's talents include wine making in his basement in Kansas City, using his wife Janet's design for furniture including play furniture. He is virtually a handy man for everything. He enjoys gardening, traveling anywhere and anytime (his eye is currently on Australia and New Zealand) dancing and helping kids learn to read. His wife describes him as a "nice caring man with a large amount of integrity and pride. He tries to go by the book. Traveling with him is fun as he does have a sense of adventure and has learned to enjoy people. He can be impatient but overall he is quite generous. The one thing that people do not know is that he is shy." Leon joined Kiwanis November 16, 1988. He has served as Chairman of the Major Emphasis Committee and for the past two years as treasurer of the club. Survivors are his wife of 40 years, Janet Boyce of Little Rock; his son, Thomas P. O'Halloran; daughters, Gayle Jones and husband, Spencer; Tracy Jones and husband Dave; Julie O'Halloran; grandchildren are Andrea and Lucas Jones. Visitation will be from 1 p.m., until 2 p.m., Friday, May 30, 2014, with a Memorial Service to begin at 2 p.m., in the chapel of Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth, 5800 W. 12th Street, Little Rock. 501-661-9111. Patrick Daniel, a close friend to the family will officiate. Please share your memories and condolences with the family at www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com.