Leo E. Willey

Leo Earl Willey, of Bonne Terre and St Louis, passed away peacefully on Oct 25, 2014 at the young age of 98. He was reunited with his late wife of 60 years, Jane Willey (nee Toma), for what would have been their 74th wedding anniversary on Oct 26. He was the beloved father of JoAnn (the late Ted) Cernich and father-like to Judy (Joe) Cernich; loving grandfather of Kathy (Ed) Powers, Karen (Toby) Dickhut, Ted (Maureen) Cernich, Scott Cernich, Dr Joe (Colleen) Cernich, and Julie (Jimmy) O'Shea; great grandfather, known as "TG" for "The Great", of Nick and Jake Powers, Lauren Dickhut, and Luke Cernich; dearest uncle, great uncle, cousin, and friend to many. He was a Lifetime Member of the Terre Du Lac Homeowners Assn; former President of Religious Sisters of Mercy Friends; and longtime employee as an Industrial Engineer of Emerson Electric until his retirement. He was a devote Catholic and longtime very active member of St Joseph Church. He was incredibly social and loved playing golf with the guys at the TDL Country Club until he was 94 and playing the card game Hand & Foot and taking exercise classes with his gal pals at TDL. He loved spending time with family and friends and reading mystery novels in his down time. He was incredibly athletic for most of his life, and liked being outside where he could enjoy Mother Nature, while also enjoying golf, swimming, and water skiing in his younger years. His smile was contagious and he made friends everywhere he went in his life. A special thank you to his most loving caregivers at Cape Albeon, Brooking Park, and St Luke's Hospice; he was blessed to have loving care and support at each facility. A Memorial Service will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11am at St Joseph Catholic Church in Bonne Terre, with a reception following in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St Vincent De Paul Parish c/o Social Ministries 1408 South 10th Street St Louis, MO 63104. Arrangements are under the direction of C. Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Home in Bonne Terre. View obituary and share condolences online at www.www.czboyer.com