Leeon J Carrico

was with him when he passed.

Leeon was born on February 24, 1939 to Leeon Carrico, Sr. and Fern Carrico (nee Hibbetts).

Leeon married Diane Ricchio on June 17, 1961 and they had a wonderful marriage of 63 years.

Leeon is survived by Diane, his two sons and their spouses, Cris and Dawn, and Mike and

Susan, and four granddaughters Caty, Cece, Emily (Ben) and Maggie (Jacob), his sister and her

husband Donna and Siegel Glover, two sisters-in-law and their husbands, Dawn and John

Hamman and Drue and Ed Madon, nine nieces and nephews, three step-grandchildren and

eight step-great-grandchildren.

Leeon is preceded in death by his parents and his sisters and brothers-in-law Florence and

Emmett Davis and Bernadine and Bill McNealy.

Leeon was raised in Vandalia, Illinois, where he played on the banks of the Kaskaskia river,

delivered newspapers, managed the local pool, helped at the funeral home and got into mischief

with good friend Mark Miller, and played on the Vandals baseball and football teams. Leeon

attended Illinois State University, where he played football, shared a dorm room with lifelong

friend Don Bojens, and graduated with a mathematics degree in 1961. After graduating, Leeon

took his first job as a teacher in Bismarck-Henning, Illinois, where he started the school’s

football program. After a couple of years at Bismarck, he and his family moved to Chatsworth,

Illinois where he taught math and coached football at Chatsworth High School. He obtained his

master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois. From 1968 to 1985, he served as a

Principal at Chatsworth High School, and from 1985 to 2000, served as the Principal of Prairie

Central Junior High. Leeon and Diane lived in Fairbury, Illinois from 1985 to 2007. In 2007,

Leeon and Diane moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Leeon and Diane attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Chatsworth, Trinity Lutheran Church in

Fairbury, and Cross of Hope Lutheran Church in Albuquerque. Their pastors and church friends

have been an important part of their lives, including the Lunch Bunch in Albuquerque.

Among many interests over the years, Leeon enjoyed going to auctions and collecting just about

anything and everything; thereafter moving boxes of auction “treasures” from one side of his

workshop to the other to make room for other workshop projects; going to the stock car races

with Dave, Snooky, Gerry and others; playing cards with Neil, Father Karl and poker friends;

going to ballgames with Frank, Barry, Blaise, or other buddies; coaching and later attending his

sons’ and granddaughters’ sporting events and other activities; gardening; talking to tele-

marketers, and above all spending time visiting with friends and family. Leeon was kind and

generous to all, and a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, teacher, coach and friend.

A memorial service will take place at Cross of Hope Lutheran Church, 6104 Taylor Ranch Rd.

NW Albuquerque, N.M. on December 14 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that

any donations be made to Cross of Hope Lutheran Church.