John Keith Leasure – Captain, United States Navy

KINGSPORT TENNESSEE – Captain John Keith Leasure, 80, of Winchester Lane, died suddenly Tuesday (April 10, 2001).

John Keith Leasure was born in Sidell, Illinois, on November 2, 1920. He earned an M.S. degree from Michigan State University and a B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. During his professional career he taught in the Agronomy Department at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville; served as director of Herbicide Research at Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Michigan; and was professor and chair of the Plant Industries Department at Southern     Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.

During World War II, he served aboard the submarine USS Rock (SS 274) in the Pacific. He retired as captain in the U.S. Navy and continued to serve in the Submarine Service in the Ready Reserves.

He was a Master Mason for more than 50 years as a member of Broadlands Lodge No. 791 in Illinois.

Keith is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Betty; their children, Karol Lynn Johnson, Johnson City, and Bruce R. Leasure, Champaign, Ill.; two grandchildren, Amber Lynn Johnson, Dallas, Tex., and Reid Wille Johnson, Amherst, Mass.; one brother, James Kent Leasure, Georgetown, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Onam and Dorothy Leasure, Sidell, Ill.; and a brother, Kenneth Leasure, Knoxville.

Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a date to be determined later.

There will be no visitation.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Illinois Masonic Childrenís Home, 441 Ninth Ave., La Grange, Ill. 60525-6423.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard