Obituary of Leo J. Powers

Leo J. Powers of Ballston Lake, died unexpectedly on October 17, 2016 from complications due to a stroke. Leo was born on May 4, 1922 in Bismarck, MO, the youngest of five children, all of whom predeceased him. He graduated from Bismarck High School (class of 1940) and earned an Associates’ Degree from Flat River Junior College. He was a talented athlete who played basketball in high school and college. Leo grew up on a farm; it defined him and shaped his life’s view. In a sense, he never left. In 1939, at the age of seventeen, his father died, leaving him to manage the farm - which he did, with Italian Prisoners of War from nearby camps in Bismarck, Missouri. Following the war, the farm was sold and Leo was drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War. Upon his return home, he found work with the International Harvester Corporation, a natural fit, since at the time it was the largest manufacturer of farm equipment in the world. He was a man of extraordinary discipline and humility who had an ability to work easily with others, even those whose education and talents exceeded his own. In his thirty two year career he rose to the level of regional manager for the Northeast Region (New York and New England). He retired in 1983. He married Gilda Powers in 1953 at the Cathedral in St. Louis, MO. They had four children: Mark, Lisanne, Edward and Steve. Through his career with Harvester they lived in Evanston, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; Atlanta, Georgia; Cincinnati Ohio; and finally settling in Clifton Park, New York in 1972. Gilda passed away on May 29, 2010. He was a man whose character was forged from the Depression. He was possessed of a sense of self reliance at an early age, and always had an abiding love for family. He considered himself a feminist before the word was known. He credited his sisters, Dorothy, Florence and Margaret with contributing to his upbringing to such an extent that he would not have had the life he had but for their influence and guidance. He was devoted to his family and his faith, and said prayers daily. He lived with an earnest sense of gratitude. He gave of himself unstintingly for his children, and their success, to any extent, was his own. He leaves surviving his son Mark (Marcia), his daughter Lisanne, his son Edward (Berta), his son Steve (Lane); his grandchildren, Sarah Powers, Ryan Powers (Laura), Mia L. Powers, Joselyne M. Powers, and Liam J. Powers; and his great-grandchildren, Sean H. Powers and Emerson J. Powers. He leaves his nephews, James Powers, Gary Wilburs, and Tom White; his nieces, Patricia Ann Powers, Catherine Marie Powers, Madonna Buehre, Nancy Keath, Joan Fell, Karen Powers and Mary Louise Hill. The family wishes to thank the nursing staff at Ellis Hospital for their devotion and care. Calling hours will be held at the Catricala Funeral Home, 1597 Route 9, Clifton Park on Sunday, October 23rd, from 2 to 5 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted on Monday, October 24th at 9:00 a.m. at Corpus Christi Church, Route 9, in Round Lake. Immediately following the Mass will be a burial service with Military honors at Saratoga National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Corpus Christi Church, 2001 Route 9, Round Lake, New York, 12151.