- Date Of Birth: June 30, 1921
- Date Of Death: November 10, 2020
- State: Michigan
Chester Edward Leshman, 99, of Three Oaks, died Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
He was born June 30, 1921 in Cicero, Illinois to William Henry and Celia Leshman. He married Jean Catherine Siwicki June 8, 1940 in Cicero, Illinois. She preceded him in death January 25, 2000. He then married Charlotte Virginia Harradon Griner November 6, 2002 in LaPorte, Indiana. She also preceded him in death September 28, 2019.
Chester proudly served our country in the United States Army in World War II. While in the Army, he earned the title of 7th Battalion Boxing Champion in 1944 weighing in at a mere 127 lbs. He would proudly share his stories about his time in the war, especially the time he met General George S. Patton.
Chester was a member of the Randall Couchman American Legion Post 204 in Three Oaks and the VFW in Michigan City, Indiana where he enjoyed dinner Friday evenings with his wife, Charlotte. He worked for and retired from Bendix and ran his own painting business. Many knew him as Chief, Godfather, or Grandpa Leshman, and he was once given the title “The Don of Three Oaks” in an article in a local newspaper.
He was an avid listener of Donna Kavanagh on the Three Oaks radio station and had the pleasure of being a guest on her show. Grandpa Leshman was known for buying up all the bicycles at the local Police auction and giving them out to neighborhood kids who didn’t have one. He believed that all kids should have a bike to ride. Chester was a creature of habit and loved to speak of how he had the cure for cancer (or at least a preventative) beets. He would share this information with whoever he thought would best benefit from it. He ate beets at lunch almost every day and lived to be ninety-nine, so apparently, he was doing something right.
Chester will be greatly missed by family and friends. He is survived by his daughter, Peggy (MIke) Roberts of Galien; stepdaughter, Regina (John) Adamson of Sawyer; one son, Bruce (Bonnie) Leshman of Bridgman; ten grandchildren; seventeen great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild.
In addition to his parents, Chester was preceded in death by his wife, Jean; two daughters, Barbara Leshman and Carol Lindgren; one stepson Terry Griner, Sr.; and his wife Charlotte.
