WILLARD J.  LEACH  JR. "BILL" , 91, of Cherokee, Iowa, formerly of Hartley, Iowa, passed away Wednesday morning, April 10, 2019 at The Gardens Assisted Living in Cherokee.

Graveside memorial services will be held on Friday, May 3 ^rd at 10 a.m. at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa. Pastor Jonathan Riggert will officiate. There will be no visitation. The Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee Iowa is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Bill was born on December 5, 1927 at Brooklyn, Iowa to Willard & Freda (Brimmer) Leach. He was raised in Sioux City, Iowa and received his education there. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during WW II and the Korean Conflict being honorably discharged in 1953. Bill was married to Alice Nelson on May 23, 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts. He had lived in Cherokee the past 3 years, prior to this in Hartley, Iowa for 27 years. He had worked for the Milwaukee Railroad, numerous packing houses, was an iron worker, and had worked for Iowa Public Service for 27 years retiring in 1990. He enjoyed metal detecting, scuba diving, ham radio, reading, traveling, spending winters in Arizona, and many years of boating and camping with his wife Alice.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother, step-mother Irene, his wife Alice on December 26, 2014, and a brother Larry Leach; sister-in-law and brother-in-law LaVerne and Dearl Cheatwood.

Bill is survived by his two sons: Duane Leach and his wife Carol of Sibley, Iowa; Robert Leach and his wife Donna of Cherokee, Iowa; four grandchildren: Kari (Brent) McLaren of Urbandale, Iowa; Michael (Kathy) Leach of Cherokee, Iowa; Jason (Bridget) Leach of Sioux Falls, SD; Jaclyn (Lance) Glade of Sibley, Iowa; nine great grandchildren: Cora and Ailie McLaren; Jayleen and Kaycee Leach; Karalynn Mae, Taten John and Emerson Marie Leach of Sioux Falls, SD; Ganyn Tyler and Grayson Willard Glade of Sibley, Iowa; half-brother John (Kathy) Leach of McCook Lake, SD; two half-sisters: Paula (Pat) Flynn of Sioux City, Iowa; Judy (John) Anderson of Sioux City, Iowa; also several nieces and nephews.