Leslie (Les) Carrol Leary

LEARY, LESLIE (LES) CARROL, age 82, died peacefully at Northside Hospital on June 19, 2023 after a valiant battle with kidney cancer. Born in Pamlico County, North Carolina to Leslie Vae Leary and Sarah Ives Leary, Les spent the majority of his childhood in High Point, NC. Les attended North Carolina State University where he was Atlantic Coast Conference Champion in pole vaulting in 1960. After graduation from NC State, Les went to work for Lockheed Martin where he helped design and build aircrafts during the Vietnam War. This was the beginning of his long and fruitful career in engineering. After stints at Jervis B. Webb and SpanMaster, Les founded Royce Crane Company in 1983 to follow his engineering passion in drawing, manufacturing, and building specialty hoists and cranes. His skills were highly respected and his expertise was sought out for complicated projects.

Les was a man of many talents. He was a natural athlete, a landscaper, a grill master and a collector and amateur restorer of antique cars and woody boats. In short, he was a creator at heart and the consummate do-it-yourselfer. For Les, he was always looking for a new project or challenge to tackle.

He was an ever loving and devoted husband to his wife of 51 years and proud father and grandfather to his three children and two grandchildren who brought him incredible joy. He is predeceased in death by his parents and his brother, Gerald Phillip Leary. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Henderson Leary; his three children: Ashley Leary Connell (George), Ryan Colin Leary and Bradley Jordan Leary (Jen); his two grandchildren: George Hewlett Connell and Virginia Ives Connell; and his sisters: Ava Hoffer, Joy Bechtold (Brandt) and Brenda Brown (Mike); as well as his niece and nephews.

In honor of his wishes, the family will hold a private celebration of life at Lake Burton, his favorite place to spend his time and to make family memories.