Michael Leedy, 77, of Haverford, was no average guy, a daughter wrote: ‘He knew what was really important’
A Harrisburg native, he worked for many years as a restaurant manager in Lancaster, most notably at Dempsey’s Diner.
Michael Leedy always told his children to express themselves. So daughter Julie and son Mike got to it after Mr. Leedy died April 12.
Mike penned a descriptive and comprehensive review of his father’s life, touching on everything from Mr. Leedy’s skill as a golfer to his love of the comedian Jonathan Winters’ jokes and his habit of doling out nicknames to their friends. “Stu Balu and Murdock. You know who you are,” Mike wrote.
He focused on Mr. Leedy’s love for his wife, Judy, to whom he was married for more than 57 years. They met when they were 16, married at 19, and had four kids — Monica, Julie, Mike, and Jason. “In the history of men loving women, his love was epic,” Mike wrote.
Mr. Leedy was not a complainer. The worst thing Mike heard his father say came after dinner one night. “That was great,” Mr. Leedy said. “Let’s never have it again.”
Julie composed a eulogy that explained how Mr. Leedy had shaped her life and those of others around him. She marveled at the attention he gave his children. Watching from the audience at dance recitals, mowing the grass on summer evenings, and reading the paper around the house kept Mr. Leedy fully in their lives. He even took ballroom dancing lessons for Judy.
“You would call him an average guy,” Julie said. “Until you met him. He knew what was really important.”
Mr. Leedy, 77, of Haverford, died in a Wynnewood nursing home after suffering from lung cancer. His family said he had tested negative for the coronavirus but showed symptoms of the illness shortly before his death.
Mr. Leedy was born in Harrisburg and worked for many years as a restaurant manager in Lancaster, most notably at Dempsey’s Diner. Julie and her siblings sometimes worked as staff under Mr. Leedy, and she recalls those raucous times behind the counter as some of the best of her life. “He always made you feel at home,” she said.
In addition to his wife and children, Mr. Leedy is survived by 12 grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Mr. Leedy’s life is to take place later.