Leroy W. Wrigg

LeRoy William Wrigg

, born May 23, 1945 in Madison, S.D., passed away peacefully early Friday morning the 26th of May, 2017, after a short battle with metastatic melanoma, with his wife and daughter at his side.

LeRoy was devoted to his family, a close group of friends and his beloved back yard.

He retired to Chandler, Arizona in 2006, to take care of his little granddaughters, whom he adored.

He became a master gardener, with the greenest lawn in Chandler, exemplary “pool boy” and outstanding “Grill Meister” and host.

He loved

his life in Arizona and enjoyed retirement to the fullest.

LeRoy graduated from Madison Central High School, Madison, S.D., in 1963, ( while at the same time honing his billiard game at the SmokeHouse) and joined the United States Navy at age 17 ( his mom signed for him) serving 4 years on a destroyer, the USS Damato in the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet.

His Navy years were a great source of hilarious stories, including being blessed by The Pope on the way to cocktail hour and his visit to Piraeus, Greece and the infamous Black Cat.

After his Navy service he returned to Madison, S.D., where he met his wife Kathleen (Meehan) and graduated from Dakota State College

in 1970 with a degree in Education.

One semester of student teaching proved to be enough and he spent his entire working career in sales, retiring with 35 years service from Sears, never having missed a day of work.

LeRoy’s gentle demeanor, enduring love for his family, and kind heart will be forever missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, his cherished daughter, Caroline (Herpfer), 2 precious granddaughters Olivia and Sophia Herpfer and his beloved sister Sharon Olson. He was preceded in death by his parents Arlene (Brownlee) and Max Henry Wrigg.

A celebration of his life will be held at a date to be announced.

Donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E Flower St, Phoenix, AZ 85014