Leyden, James Leverne "Lefty" 1937-2004

LEYDEN, KELLER, COFFIN, MILLER, DAVIS, CARTER

Posted By: Debbie Nash (email)
Date: 10/21/2004 at 23:03:51

James Leverne 'Lefty' Leyden
October 21, 2004

James Leverne "Lefty" Leyden, 67, of 407 S. Court St., died at 1:43 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2004 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

The funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with the Rev. Kurt Makower officiating. Burial with Elks ritual service will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

Family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Raymond Funeral Home.

Memorials have been established to First Christian Church, Home Dialysis Services and Jim Leyden Scholarship Fund.

Mr. Leyden was born June 14, 1937, in Lockridge, the son of Henry "Hank" and Vera Keller Leyden. He married Myrna Coffin Sept. 28, 1968, in Fairfield.

He was a lifetime resident of Fairfield. A graduate of Fairfield High School in 1956 and of Parsons College, he also received a master's degree in business administration from the University of Northern Iowa. He served in the United States Navy. A sixth-grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School in Ottumwa for 30 years, he taught his students chess and led Eisenhower school sixth-grade teams to the Iowa math bee for 18 years.

Mr. Leyden was a member of First Christian Church. In addition, he was a member of Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 1192, for where he served as exalted ruler from 1997-1998. He was a Mason and a member of Walton Club.

He enjoyed the outdoors and playing golf.

Survivors include his wife, two daughters, Cathy Miller and husband Justin of Fairfield and Tricia Leyden of San Francisco, Calif.; and one sister, Carol Davis of Fairfield.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister, Thelma Carter.

Courtesy of the Fairfield Daily Ledger Inc. 2004