Friday, November 1, 2024
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Q: Describe where Leroy worked and what they did
A: I am truely saddened to see Leroys passing and although i only had the pleasure to work with Leroy for a couple of his last years at IOC in field maintenance. Although he hasn't worked there in a long time now & I also no longer work there he will always be remembered as one of the good ones.
Leroy was a crane operator, a boom truck operator, and when he had to, a lube van operator. He was not just an operator but a man who took pride in his equipment and the work he was involved with. As I was new to the industry as a young team leader he would always take the time go through any lift with me so i understood how they worked and what their limits would be. He would help me with lift plans and always had his book with various weights of machines or parts in his pocket to refer to with any questions i ever had. He would work extra shifts not because he had to but when we were in need where he would never see us stuck , sometimes working weeks on end. I can honestly say I never worried when he was on the sticks, he made the tough jobs look easy and his crew had the utmost respect & trust in his abilities.
As a man he was generally quiet but always good for a chat. He would often welcome me in their lube ramp break area to have a coffee and a chat during many break times. During these times he would make this young supervisor feel like a co-worker opposed to the feeling of staff & hourly generally associated with the IOC work environment. We would talk about many of his hobbies from building cars, guitars, wood working and was often found with a pocket knife making something amazing, like a wooden muti link wood chain, or a ball inside a cube from a single piece of wood.
His talents had no end, he powder coated hardware in his garage for my bike builds, he showed me the cars he had restored and projects he was working on & oddly enough we had a connection before i even met him as i found out during one of those old talks that he actually put the siding on my old house on Willow before I bought it from Don Best.
I know this is a sad time but I will always remember him with his smile and top notch abilities at whatever he was doing.
I'm sure Leroy and Eldon (Letto) are in the big lube ramp in the sky having a game of cards, or a coffee, a chat, and a laugh. Rest in peace old friend and thank you for everything you did me, our crew, and I'm sure the many others you crossed paths with over the years.
*photo credit to Dave Turner