Obituary: Ron Leeper

Born Aug. 26, 1938, in Tarkio, Mo., Ron passed away at the age of 74 on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, at Pioneers Medical Center in Meeker, Colo. He is survived by his loving wife Barbara (Bobbie), his sister Linda (Kurt) McCombs of Denver, six children: David (Tammy) Leeper of Wolcott, Gary (Julie) Leeper of Westminster, Michael Joos of Meeker, Teresa Daley of Colorado Springs, Glen Joos of Brighton and Julie Manna of Trinidad. He had 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
He attended Denver Public Schools and then the University of Denver. Following college he went to an airline trade school in Kansas City, Mo., and then to work for Frontier Airlines. He was in the Army National Guard when his unit was called to active duty and was stationed in Fort Lawton, Okla.
After the army, he went to work in construction and excavation and bridge building. He continued in that field until 1998 when he retired and moved to Meeker. After 18 months of retirement, he went back to work as the coordinator for the Rio Blanco County Road and Bridge Department where he worked until his last retirement only two and a half months ago.
He loved being outdoors with the beauty of the mountains and the wildlife that surrounded his home. He loved being around family and he loved his ice cream and root beer floats at Ma Famiglia’s. He is preceded in death by his parents Donald and Georgia Etta Leeper. His funeral was held Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the Fairfield Center in Meeker with burial at Highland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ronald Leeper Memorial Scholarship fund at First National Bank of the Rockies in Meeker, Colo. The scholarship will help fund young men and women who wish to pursue construction, engineering or architectural degrees.