CA adds: “To read the final sermon prepared by my father, see:
The Reverend David Allison Leach, 77, of Hales Corners, Wisconsin, died on Wednesday, January 6, 1999, in Waukesha Memorial Hospital following complications from a perforated bowel.
The son of the late Dr. Charles Daniel Leach and Helen Tyzzer Leach, he was born in Hingham, Massachusetts, and spent his early childhood in Huchow, China, where his parents were medical missionaries. The family later moved to Ohio and he graduated from Granville High School in 1938. He received a B.A. from Capital University and a Master of Divinity from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School. He also did graduate work at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and in later life spent a year in residency as a pastoral counselor at the state hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts.
After ordination at the Granville, Ohio, Baptist Church as an American Baptist minister, Rev. Leach served parishes in Chili, Canandaigua, and Penn Yan, New York, and in Austin and Warrenville, Illinois. For two years he was the State Director of Christian Education and Camping for the Rhode Island American Baptist Convention. He also spent two years in West Virginia as Director of Christian Education for the Fairmont Council of Churches.
As an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ, Rev. Leach served a three-church parish on Long Island, New York, in Aquebogue and Jamesport, as well as parishes in Reading and Manomet, Massachusetts. His final parish was in Ben Arnold, Texas. He remained active in the ministry after retiring in 1991 and moving to Tudor Oaks Retirement Community in Wisconsin. He was slated to preach on January 3rd.
Rev. Leach's life accomplishments, leadership positions, and awards were too numerous and diverse to list completely. One of his proudest achievements was in Boy Scouts, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. As an adult, he continued to volunteer as a troop leader, for which he received the Silver Beaver award, one of the highest honors in scouting.
His avocation was music. In high school, he had several lead roles in musicals. At Capital University, he was a tenor soloist with the distinguished Chapel Choir which toured extensively throughout the United States, including a performance at Carnegie Hall. He continued to perform and was beloved as a singer throughout his life. He was also proficient on the piano, guitar, accordion, and keyboard, and he conducted choirs in many of his parishes. In Texas he was keyboard player and arranger for the Spice o' Life Band.
His other interests included photography, travel, and camping. During his last years he took cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, and up the Amazon River. He also enjoyed animals and had several pets, the most recent being a Sheltie named Prince.
Rev. Leach was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Theodore. He is survived by two daughters, Carol Ann Edington, of Sapporo, Japan, and Mary Elizabeth Raines, of Weyauwega, Wisconsin; a brother, Ernest (Taeko) Leach, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio; and a sister, Joy (Rolfe) Stuteville, of Mason, Michigan; a grandson, Damian Wiesbach-Leach, of Montrose, California; and a former wife and close companion, Dorothy Martin of Hales Corners.
A memorial service was held for him at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 1999, at Emanuel United Church of Christ, Hales Corners, Wisconsin.