Charles Leahy

Mr. Charles Edward Leahy, age 87, of Burlington, NC, passed away Monday morning, February 22, 2016 at Liberty Commons Nursing & Rehab Center in Burlington. A native of Knoxville, TN, he was the son of Dennis Bernard and Margaret Griffin Leahy, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by three sisters, Mary Catherine Leahy, Margaret Leahy Ericson, and Anna Leahy Murdock and a brother Dennis Bernard Leahy, Jr. His wife of 49 years, Dale Harris Leahy, passed away in Feburary, 2012. He is survived by five children, Michael Randolph Leahy and his wife, Susan, of Holland, MI, John Patrick Leahy of Wilmington, NC, Mary Margaret Leahy of Burlington, NC, Charles Harris Leahy and his wife, Paige, of Asheville, NC and David Griffin Leahy and his wife, Stacey, of Bluffton, SC, and six grandchildren. He was a retired employee of Western Electric/AT&T Corp with 37 years of service. He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church where he was a former member of the Parish Advisory Board and the School Advisory Board. He was previously Chairman of the Burlington Recreation Commission and also served on the City-County Library Board. Mr. Leahy was a graduate of St. Bernard College, Cullman, AL as well as the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Charles loved nature and the outdoors and passed that love on to his children. He enjoyed gardening and bird watching and hiking in the mountains. Considered as one of his greatest accomplishments, he was able to take his family on camping trips with the familys pop-up camper towed behind their station wagon every summer, ranging from Maine to Florida, though mostly along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia. After retirement he and his wife were able to visit most of the major National Parks in the US and Canada and especially enjoying staying at the old National Park Lodges. During the Korean War, Charles served in the 537th Field Artillery Bn, Hq Batt., US Army, Fort Carson, Colorado and Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, and was Honorably Discharged as a non-commissioned officer. A memorial service will be conducted at 11:00 AM on Friday, February 26 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 on Thursday evening at Lowe Funeral Home and Crematory. Memorials may be made to Blessed Sacrament School, 515 Hillcrest Ave., Burlington, NC 27215 or to a charity of the donor's choice. You may sign the online register book at www.lowefuneralhome.com.