Robert Leonard

Robert Lacie Leonard, Jr, 97, of Crescent Drive, died Monday, February 1, 2016, after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held at 4 pm Friday, February 5 at Grace Episcopal Church, by the Rev. Mr. M. Alton Plummer. A private burial will be held at Lexington City Cemetery. The family will receive friends following the memorial service at the church. Mr. Leonard was born January 18, 1919, to Lettie Shoaf Leonard and Robert Lacie Leonard. He was a lifelong resident of Lexington and an alumnus of Catawba College. He worked for Coble Dairy for 20 years, serving on the company’s board of directors, and subsequently spent the majority of his professional career as Director of Sales Service of United Furniture, later Burlington House Furniture, from which he retired in 1982. He had been a member of the Lexington Kiwanis Club since 1941 and was treasurer of the organization’s Davidson County Fair for 14 years. A member of Grace Episcopal Church, he served as secretary of the Vestry, Jr. Warden, Sr. Warden, an usher and was active in the work of the Men of the Church. He enjoyed reading; civil war history; his breakfast, “tee party” and dinner groups; golf; and traveling, especially to the beach. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Louise Leonard Short, formerly of Charlotte. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Julia Davis Leonard of the home; two daughters: Jill Spalding and her husband, Carter, of Richmond, Virginia, and Jane Whitehurst and her husband, Bill, of Lexington; six grandchildren: Brandon Spalding and his wife, Shelley, and Julia Blair Spalding, all of Richmond, Virginia; David Clark Smith of New York City, Alden Smith of Charlotte, Robert Smith and his fiancée, Claudia Saavedra, of Raleigh, Will Whitehurst of Chapel Hill; and two great-grandchildren: Carter Spalding and Betsy Spalding of Richmond. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully suggests that memorials be made to Grace Episcopal Church, 419 S. Main St, Lexington, NC, 27292; The Lexington Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 1951, Lexington, NC, 27293; or a charity of the donor’s choice.