C. Church Leonard Sr.

Leonard C. Church Sr., age 86, longtime resident of 1503 Main Street, passed away on Thursday, July 28, 2016, following a brief hospitalization.

The family will receive friends from 10:00am to Noon on Monday, August 1st, 2016 at Covert Funeral Home of Ovid. A funeral service will then be held at the funeral home at Noon, officiated by the Honorable Margaret Ellsworth Prayers of committal will be held at Ovid Union Cemetery.

Lenny was born at home in Auburn on July 12, 1930, and raised by his grandparents. He met his future wife, Grace while he was stationed in Pennsylvania with the Air Force. He was a lifelong truck driver, having been an owner operator on the East Coast and a hired driver for Howards Express for over 20 years. In his youth he drove his own stock cars at the Waterloo and Weedsport tracks, his love of racing continued into following the NASCAR circuit. For a number of years, he operated Lenny❜s Catering, a family tradition that continues to this day. He was a SUPER grandfather, and Grandpas house was the place of refuge in case you got in trouble.

Lenny is survived by five children, Barbara (JR) Ingandello, Theresa (Rick) Church, Leonard Church Jr., William Church, and Melodie (David) Post; 21 grandchildren; 39 great grandchildren. Special thanks to his favorite baker, Karen. He was preceded in death by his wife, Grace in 2015; a daughter, Patricia Church in 1955; a son Danny Church in 1994; a great grandson, Joseph Church in 2013; son in law Tony Ingandello in 2001; and his brothers; Bob, Howard and Bobby, and a sister Ethel Simpser. The pallbearers for his service will include his grandchildren; David, Daniel and Thomas Ingandello, Gary Cooper, Steve Twarkins, Preston Clark and AJ Webster.