Leo Vick

Leo Vick honorably served his country as a sailor, served his community as a businessman and served his family as a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was a caring and much loved man with a giving heart and was known for the way he cared about people. Leo spent his life balancing hard work with the role of a loving father, and succeeded in bringing the best for his family.

In 1926, life was good in the United States. Although a revolt in Nicaragua found military troops being sent to help preserve order, Americans were enjoying relative peace and prosperity. World War I was over and the Great Depression had not yet threatened the U.S. workforce. However, the most special event in 1926 for John and Nora (Marini) Vick of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was the birth of their son, Leo, on February 1, 1926. His big sister Thelma just adored him and throughout his life was very protective and often like a second mom. Leo’s father worked hard supporting his family at Allied Paper Company while his mother stayed home to care for him and his sister.

Leo spent his growing up years in Kalamazoo on West Maple Street until the new South Junior High School was built in their front yard and the family moved across the street. As a young boy, he and his buddies would shag some balls at the State Hospital baseball fields and quickly ran home afterwards. As a young man, Leo was never one to shy away from work and sometimes held two jobs at a time. His first job was picking flowers on the ponds near Crosstown Parkway for ten cents and hour and later worked at Cooper’s Pharmacy. Leo attended the Kalamazoo Public Schools and graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1944. In school, he enjoyed playing the trumpet in the Jr. high and high school bands. Leo was quite a charmer in high school so much so that his high school yearbook picture caption read “girls.” The summer before his senior year, Leo and a few buddies decided to hitchhike to Berkley, California and enjoy their last summer away. It just so happened that Leo had an aunt and uncle there that they could stay with and Leo took a job making na-pon.

Leo had always been very patriotic. Just after turning eighteen, he felt the need to serve his country during this time of war and enlisted in the U.S. Navy (V-12) for three years. During this time, he attended Newberry College until they cancelled the program. He then proudly served for the next year and a half on the USS Mission Bay Aircraft Carrier, which was based in Norfolk, Virginia. His missions took him throughout the world to places like Greenland, North Africa, the Mediterranean and South America. During his time in service, Leo made many lifelong friendships with fellow Navy buddies, which he remained in contact with through the years. In May 1946, Leo was honorably discharged as Aviation Ordinance Man 3rd Class V-6.

Upon his return to Kalamazoo, Leo began working at Cooper Hardware Store, which he eventually bought in 1956. It was also during this time that Leo’s life took a new direction when he was introduced to his future wife, Ruby, through a mutual friend while out dancing at Club Hollywood. Already known as a ladies man, Leo was also a fantastic dancer and it just so happened that Ruby loved to dance too. With this in common, they began dating and many nights were spent whirling around the dance floor together. Over the next year, their love for each other blossomed and they were married on July 5, 1952, at the First Methodist Church. This day would be treasured in Leo’s heart as the greatest in all his life. They spent their honeymoon sightseeing in New York City and at Niagara Falls. The newlyweds bought a small house in Portage and lived there until 1956 when the young couple bought a cute home on Hillcrest. Here Leo and Ruby lovingly raised their three children: Jon (who tragically died in 1974 in a motorcycle accident), Steve and Kathryn. A true family man, Leo always made his family his first priority. He took great pride in his children and they in turn felt their childhoods were perfect. Because of the stores, Leo couldn’t get away much, but managed to take his family on several trips at Lake Michigan. He and Ruby’s best friends, Mark and Dee Mundwiler, had a cottage on Lake Michigan. During the summer, the wives would take the kids and pets to the cottage while Mark and Leo flew in on the weekends in Mark’s airplane. While the children where in their teens, Leo and Jack Russell began building race cars for Kalamazoo, Galesburg and others race tracks.

With business going good at Cooper Hardware, Leo decided in the early 1960s to open Vick’s Hardware in Oakwood. He worked hard to run both stores but eventually closed Cooper Hardware. In the early 1970s, Vick’s Hardware also closed. Leo then took a job at Allied Paper Company where he worked as a mason for ten years before retiring in 1984.

After retiring, Leo had more time to spend pursing his favorite hobbies. An avid golfer and bowler, Leo played on three golfing leagues and two bowling leagues at one time. One very memorable golf outing with his good friend, Jack Russell, soon turned drastically wrong as Jack suffered a heart attack on the course. With quick thinking, Leo drove like the dickens to the nearest clinic and in doing so saved his friend’s life. Leo loved the game of golf so much that he built a little course in the backyard so his grandchildren could play along with him.

He and Ruby loved to travel together. Through the course of their travels, they had visited 48 states. They would spend a few months each year out west and as of recent, went south to Florida. Leo was also a fan of gambling and his goal was to make his rounds to every casino in the United States. Through their vast travels, he was able to make half of them. The Christmas holiday was Leo’s favorite time of year. He enjoyed shopping for gifts and was even happier when he found them on sale. While Ruby had the task of decorating the inside of the house, Leo did the outside. Thanksgiving was another great holiday in the Vick family. Every Thanksgiving dinner was planned around the Detroit Lions game. A huge Detroit Tiger fan, Leo often told the story of how already at four, he would take the radio to the basement and while eagerly listening to the game, smack his ball into the mitt.

Leo's hobbies, however, did not stop at golfing, bowling and traveling, he also liked to cook and wasn’t afraid to try something new, usually something he found on sale. He always had a soft spot for animals, especially when it came to his black cocker spaniel named Inky. It wasn’t unusual to see him outside bird watching or feeding the squirrels. On their small five acres of property, Leo was a farmer at heart and raised chickens, a mule and goat. A true gardener, Leo also had all kinds of fruit trees and grew just about everything in his garden. Much of the bounty from his trees and garden were shared with his older friends; he was always watching over them. For his listening pleasure he preferred the tunes of the big bands, Lawrence Welk and gospel music. Although a steak and potato man, in later years he developed a real sweet tooth. Ruby will remember her beloved Leo as a wonderfully loving husband and father. Her favorite memories are of seeing him riding his tractor cutting the lawn and their leisure car trips in southwest Michigan. Memories of their times together become treasures of the heart.

Leo Vick, age 78 of Kalamazoo, died on Tuesday, July 13, 2004, at his home. He was preceded in death by his son, Jon Vick in 1974; and his sister, Thelma Vick. Members of Leo’s family include his wife, Ruby Vick; 2 children: Steve (Tammie) Vick of Kalamazoo and Kathryn (Larry) Hunt of Galesburg; and 3 grandchildren: Kasey, Leo and Jacqueline. Learn more about Leo, view his Life Story film and visit with his family and friends on Thursday, July 15, from 6-8 p.m. at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, Stadium Drive West of US-131. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, July 16, at 1 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Please visit Leo’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read his life story, archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial donation to the West Michigan Cancer Center.

Leo Vick was a modest man, yet proud of his family. He was kindhearted, caring and loved life. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.