Leo A. Kitchen's Obituary
Leo Allen Kitchen, 90, of Estero, passed away Tuesday, October 20, 2015. He was born October 6, 1925 in Carlyle, IL the son of the late James Sanford Kitchen and Edith A. Cook Kitchen. Leo is survived by his wife of 39 years, Frances R. Kitchen and his loving family: his daughter, Saundra Combs, step-daughters, Treva Gunter Mills, Rhonda Hollinger and Linda Thomas. He was also a loving Grandpa to twelve grandchildren, several great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren. Leo was a member of Gulf Coast Church of Christ and loved hunting, fishing, dancing and flying. He was also a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. Leo entered service on January 1, 1944 after flight engineering schooling. He was with the 20th. Army Air Force 73rd. Wing 21st. Bomber Command on the Island of Saipan Isley Field. He was also with the 9th. Troop Carrier Squadron Curtis Propeller Specialist on Isley Field. He was honorably discharged on March 24, 1946. He was in the Asiatic Pacific Theater where he received a Good Conduct Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon and Victory Ribbon. Leo attended Westminster College and Butler University. He received a B.S. Degree majoring in marketing and purchasing with a minor in Psychology. He was the Purchasing Manager for Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics, a Biomedical Electronics company. He retired after 26 years and moved to Southwest Florida. A celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, October 24, 2015 at Gulf Coast Church of Christ, 9550 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers. Friends will be received from 10:00 AM until the time of the service. Following services at the church, a luncheon will be provided in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Gulf Coast Church of Christ Building Fund, 9550 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33966 or to Hope Hospice of Lee County, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555. Online condolences may be made at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
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