Hubert C. Leary, of Chino Valley AZ, passed away July 14, 2021; his wife holding his hand and Willie Nelson’s My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys playing on the radio. A beloved brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Hubert was born in Healing Springs, Virginia on August 5, 1931. After graduating high school in1952, he worked for the US Forestry Service. He helped build a number of roads, ironic to those who knew his love of the back roads and unpaved journeys-perhaps this is why some of those roads aren't the most straightforward of roads, but unique much like the man who built them. In 1952 he married Jeannette Jenkins and they had two children, Jim and Donna Leary. He served 22 years in the USAF, attaining the rank of SMSgt before retiring in 1974 to Chandler, Arizona. While in the service he especially enjoyed his time in Okinawa, Japan and Holland, frequently telling stories of his time there for many years to come. His love of history was well known to any who knew him-any who ever entered his home! From the many statues and paintings depicting the Old West, to his many historical magazine subscriptions (sometimes re-gifted to a daughter or granddaughter with a similar love of history).
After retiring from the Air Force, he attended Mesa Community College and studied (of course) Arizona History. His family says that "Pop knew about every back road in Arizona, northern Arizona for sure. He could get us from Chino to Flagstaff in his Jeep and never drive on paved roads''. His Jeep was something he loved to tinker with, indeed one of many things! As such, his garage is a treasure trove of tools, doohickys and thingamabobs he all knew how to work with and what he could best use it for. He was a skilled leatherworker and woodcarver, with many of his projects still gracing the homes of his family and many friends. Hubert also very much loved his garden, especially his roses, which are still blooming beautifully even today and the large garden he maintained for many years provided food for his table and for his family. In 1989 he met Sherry Laugerbaugh and in 1995 they were married, and with that he gained a multitude of family that didn’t go away anytime soon.
Hubert was a kind, giving, loving, and dry-humored man, who charmed everyone he met, will be sorely missed. He was a better man than any of us deserved to know. Hubert is survived by a sister, Thelma Leary, his wife Sherry Leary, his children; Jim and Dawn Leary, Donna Leary, Sharon and Greg Lopez, Dennis and Sandi Widener, Margot and Brian Gibson, Mel and Lori Widener, Shay and Shannon Davis, his 19 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Virginia Cora Rose and Kenton E. Leary, two brothers Rodney and Jackie Leary, and his wife Jeannette Jenkins Leary.
Services will be held at Valley of the Sun Cemetery and Mortuary in Chandler, Arizona at 11am on Monday, July 19, with burial at 12pm.
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