Maurice "Mike" Leon Jr., 64, Story, died Friday at Sheridan Memorial Hospital after a long fight with cancer.
Born July 10, 1924, in Manhattan, N.Y., to Maurice and Frances Goodrich Leon, he began spending summers in the mountains near Cody at age 8. He graduated from Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass., in 1942 and joined the Army in his freshman year at Yale University.
He served in the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colo., until contracting spinal meningitis, which left him totally and permanently deaf.
He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale in 1947 and earned a master's degree in sociology from Yale in 1949.
He returned to Wyoming, where he worked as a writer and photographer for Casper newspapers. For several years he was also football-publicity photographer at the University of Wyoming.
He was Phillips Academy alumni representative since 1957 and Democratic precinct committeeman in Story. He ran for the Legislature in the 1960's
Preceded in death by a brother, he loved the Wyoming mountains and enjoyed backpacking, skiing, fishing, tennis, carpentry, gardening, and travel.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Jennifer Goodrich, Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., and Margo Boyer, Longmont, Colo.; and two sisters, Elizabeth L. Taylor, Chapel Hill, N.C., and Dr. Frances Quintana, Aztec, N.M.
Cremation has taken place. Services are 11 a.m. July 8 at Story Women's Club, the Rev. Donald Cutler officiating.
Memorials may benefit Story Youth Park Board, P.O. Box 2, Story; or Sheridan Hospice, P.O. Box 6242, Sheridan. Arrangements are with Champion Funeral Home.
SERVED IN THE ARMY DURING WWII, WITH THE 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION