Kenneth Varden Leasa, 60, died Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at home after a 1-year battle with an aggressive brain tumor.
Born
in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 1948, he was the son of
William Kenneth and Betty Brackbill Leasa. He was raised in Frazer, PA
and was a graduate of Great Valley Senior High School Class of 1966. In
those days, he loved acting and devising clever amusing pranks.
Varden
was gifted with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and was a lifelong
student of history, political science, and languages, including
Spanish, Russian, German and Pennsylvania Dutch. He attended several
universities, earning a B.A. and masters degree from California State
University in Los Angeles and Berkeley in the early 1970's and later a
B.S. from West Chester University in 2007. He had planned to enter
graduate study at Millersville University in June 2008.
Running
and cycling were also interests of Varden's for many years. He
completed the Philadelphia Independence Marathon in 1983. Beginning in
1982, he began commuting to work on his bicycle 25 miles a day; for
several years, this commute was done on a recumbent bicycle. In 1989
Varden rode his bicycle from San Diego, CA to Frazer, PA on a 30-day
solo bicycle trip.
Intensely interested in genealogy, Varden was
the family historian. He was highly regarded in the fields of genealogy
and local history, writing articles for genealogy publications; and he
had started writing a book about the history of his family.
Varden
was a member of Frazer Mennonite Church. He was involved with the
singing groups the Foresingers and the Table Singers. And he taught
classes in Pennsylvania Dutch for the Lancaster Mennonite Historical
Society. He was most recently employed at Barr's Products. Before that,
he worked for Clews & Strawbridges for 25 years.
Varden is
survived by his wife Marie, with whom he shared 40 years of marriage,
and who gave him extraordinary, loving care during his illness. He is
also survived by his two daughters, Jen Leasa and her husband, Eibe
Johanns, Valley Bend, WV, and Adrienne Leasa, Spring City; a sister,
Paula Warren, Frazer; a brother, Stephen K. Leasa of Phoenixville; and
many beloved sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, aunts,
uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.
The
funeral service will be held Saturday, August 8, at noon at the Frazer
Mennonite Church. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to noon
at the church. Interment will follow the service in the church cemetery.
In
lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Varden's memory to the
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, 2215 Millstream Rd., Lancaster,
PA 17602-1499, an organization with which he was involved for many
years.
Arrangements are being handled by the Mauger-Givnish Funeral Home, Malvern, PA.
