Leroy Orvill Umland was born September 24, 1945, to Frank and Arlene (Kronberg) Umland in Hanford California and was the eldest of two, having been blessed with his baby sister Donna the day after his fifth birthday. He graduated from Hanford High School in 1963.
Among one of his first jobs was night security in farmer fields which he later retold stories of how he handled local kids caught trespassing trying to cause havoc and have a good time. He joined the United States Army not long after high school and during his early years in the military he met the love of his life and future wife, Elaine Stuart. He went on to marry her in December of 1967 in the company of friends and family. During his military career, Leroy completed three tours in Germany, and was stationed in Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Georgia to name a few places. Leroy worked his way through military in the Engineer Corp, assigned to work on and lead several construction projects where he was stationed. His engineering experience gave him a solid foundation for a woodworking hobby which he used to create beautiful and ornate wall clocks for friends and co-workers.
During his first stay in Germany, he and Elaine were fortunate to travel throughout Europe, visiting various countries and historical landmarks including the Neuschwanstein Castle and the Secret Annex of the Frank family. In his second tour in Germany, Leroy’s son Douglas was born in Frankfurt and his daughter was born in Honolulu while he was stationed in Hawaii. Leroy retired from the Army in 1988 at the rank of Sergeant First Class at the end of his third stay in Germany and his family settle in Susanville California where he took some temporary job for a few months until he was taken on as a permanent employee by the Susanville School District as a middle school custodian for Diamond View School and later at Meadowview School.
After the passing of his beloved wife in 1998, he remarried to Marcia. In 2001 Leroy celebrated the birth of his first granddaughter and then his second in 2006 before moving to Santa Fe Texas with his second wife after his retirement from the school district. Leroy took pleasure in his newest hobby of acrylic painting which brought him joy in committing his memories of the Sierra Nevada mountains and trips to the beach to canvas.
In 2019, Mr. Umland laid his second wife to rest and lived out his remaining days enjoying his painting, watching old western movies and chatting online to people all over the world with shared interests. He succumbed to a brief but fierce eight-month battle with cancer and treatment complications on December 4, 2023. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Leroy was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Arlene Umland, his first wife Elaine Umland, his second wife Marcia Umland, and his son Douglas Umland and is survived by his sister Donna Neal of Hanford CA, daughter Regina Randall of Susanville CA and granddaughters Mystaya Randall of The Dalles OR and Cirrus Randall of Wahiawa HI.
Mr. Umland will be put to rest at the Houston National Cemetery on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:15am with Military Funeral Honors in the company of friends and family. He will be greatly missed by all his loved ones.
