Bellville Times

After a long and courageous fight with his health, Leon Kemmeter English,
78, was called to rest by our precious Lord and Savior on Monday, July 17,
2006. 
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Jo Nell English, and their 5
children: Greg English and wife Linda of Columbus, Gary English, and wife
Debbie of Glendale, Ariz., Rev. Jeffrey English, and wife Caron of
Torrington, Conn., Dr. W. Joseph English of San Antonio and Marie English of
Houston; 4 loving grandchildren Robert, Aaron, Sarah, and Ryan.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lowell and Viola English, and 2
brothers, Gene English and Leslie English. He is survived in his family by 1
brother, Rev. John Lyle English, and wife Jan of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
and, 2 sisters: Rosemary Simmons of Richmond, Virginia; Nancy Gleason and
husband Jim of South Haven, Michigan; and many nieces and nephews.
Leon was born on April 30, 1928 in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating from
high school and working on the family farm in Croswell, Mich., he enlisted
in the Army in 1946 and proceeded to Ft. Bragg, N.C. where he received his
Parachutist¹s Badge and served in the 82nd Airborne Division until his
Honorable Discharge. He carried a love of baseball with him his entire life
and after the Army he was signed to play professional ball at the Minor
League level. He had his best success in the Old Texas Longhorn League in
the late O40¹s to early O50¹s. This league made its rounds from North Texas
near the Red River, out to West Texas, and points south.
He met his future wife when he was playing for the Vernon (TX) Dusters
during this time. The red dust didn¹t seem to bother her, because they were
married and embarked on a career of raising a family.
After getting married, he left the baseball lots and began his career in the
civil engineering and Construction industry, where he stayed for the next 30
some years until health problems forced him to quit working. In this
industry, he literally started from the ground up as he began his career as
a Surveyor and worked his way up to construction and program management.
He was required to move quite frequently, so the family had the opportunity
to see much of the country as they grew up.
His work brought him back to Texas in 1978 to stay for good. Through all the
years, he never lost his love for the ³National Pastime² and once settled
back in the Houston area, he was an ardent Astro¹s watcher and supporter up
to the very end.
He loved life and he touched so many people during his time on this earth
with his deep, abiding faith, love, power of positive thinking, his warm
humor, and his deep love for and devotion to his family. He will be missed
tremendously, but he showed us the comfort of being a soldier in Christ, and
in the end, he truly showed us the meaning of the scripture: ³ . ...And the
time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight. I have
finished the race. I have kept the faith.²
He was buried on Friday, July 21 at Memorial Oaks Mausoleum & Cemetery in
Houston.

Posted by Joy Neely