Michael N. “Mickey” Leek

Michael N. “Mickey” Leek, 71, died May 13, 2012, in Little Rock, Ark.

He was born in Palmer on Nov. 21, 1940, to Lester J. “Jack” and Ferne Arlene (Hecker) Leek and grew up with siblings Cheryl and Jackie. Michael attended 12 years of public school in Palmer before serving three years in the U.S. Navy. Following his discharge from the Navy in 1961, he returned to Palmer.

He met his wife, Mary, in Palmer and they married July 3, 1962. Their daughter, “Denny,” was 3 months old the following year when the family relocated to Oklahoma City, Okla.

Mike enlisted in the U.S. Air Force there in December 1963. He left immediately for nine months of technical school training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss.

Following graduation, the family was stationed for three years at Kirkland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M. Their son, Craig, was born during this tour. The Vietnam War was ramping up during this time, and due to Mary’s pregnancy, Mike’s orders for Vietnam were rescinded. Instead, the family was stationed for three years at Yokota Air Force Base in Japan, where he worked on the flight line as an airborne electronics tech with 58th Air Weather Recon. It was in Japan that Michael was introduced to golf, which became a lifelong passion.

After three years in Japan, Mike, Mary, Denny and Craig returned to Keesler Air Force Base where Mike became the non-commissioned officer in charge of Allee Hall. In Allee Hall, young South Vietnamese officers learned basic electronics alongside U.S. troops. During this tour, Ferne, Jack and Jackie made the drive down to Biloxi from Palmer to spend a few weeks with Mike and family. It was also during this time that the peace accord with Vietnam was signed and the U.S. welcomed home our troops. Many were returning from prisoner of war camps. What a sight it was to see them step or limp off the planes onto U.S. soil and to see their families rush to greet them.

From Mississippi, Michael was sent to Thailand for a year, and Mary and the children went to Kansas, where they were housed at an old U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command base outside of Salina, Kan. That community was made up of more than 700 families all headed by women while their husbands were serving overseas. The Army was in charge of Schilling Manor Housing and provided a caring, safe haven for Mary and the children during this year.

When Michael returned home, he was immediately sent to recruiting school in Texas. Following graduation, he was assigned to The Dalles, Ore., where he recruited throughout parts of Washington and Oregon. Next duty station was U.S. Air Force Headquarters Recruiting Service at San Antonio, Texas. He retired from the Air Force after three years in San Antonio and moved to Chicago, where he taught electronics for the U.S. Navy at Great Lakes Naval Air Station.

Next, the family moved to Jacksonville, Fla., where Michael went to work as an OSHA compliance officer. He also worked in Sacramento, Calif., and Birmingham, Ala., before retiring from OSHA.

By this time, Mary was helping care for her elderly parents, who were living in Arkansas, so the family moved to Arkansas. Following Michael’s diagnosis of cancer, the family moved to North Little Rock, Ark., to be near medical facilities.

Preceding him in death were his parents; sister, Cheryl (Leek) DeVries of Eagle River; sister-in-law, LaDonna G. (Fowler) Larsen of Alexandria, Va.; brother-in-law, Donald Bruce Fowler of Ardmore, Okla.; and niece, Barbara Jean (DeVries) Morin, of Palmer.

Surviving are his wife, Mary (Fowler) Leek; daughter, Natalie D. Cerasuolo of Margate, Fla.; son, Craig A. Leek of North Little Rock, Ark.; grandchildren, Joseph Cordero “Joey” Cerasuolo and Bailey Grace Cerasuolo of Margate, Fla.; sister, Jacqueline A. “Jackie” Leek of Palmer; sister-in-law, Sondra (Driggars) Fowler of Pahrump, Nev.; brother-in-law, David DeVries of Eagle River; aunts, Barbara (Hecker) and husband Terry Richardson of Palmer and Beverly Joyce Hecker of Burleson, Texas; uncle, Bill Hecker of Palmer; niece, Jennie (DeVries) and husband Wade Wyatt of Palmer; nephew, Silas Larsen and wife Monica of Findlay, Ohio; great-nieces, Vashti Larsen of Findlay, Ohio, Rachel Morin and Nikole (Morin) and husband Arnie Mead of Wasilla; great-nephews, Ezra Larsen of Findlay, Ohio, Tony Morin, John Christian DeVries and Ty Quinton Wyatt, all living in the Valley; along with many cousins and lifelong friends.