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| Name: |
Milton Erving Leake
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| Date: |
March 25th, 1935 - January 3rd, 2010
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| Obituary: |
Milton Erving Leake was the quintessential Marine and his combat service during the Korean War was his pride and joy. Throughout his lifetime, the 74-year old Leake would gleefully tell anyone in earshot, "I'm a Marine." It became his mantra, and that Marine-bred spirit and toughness kept him alive far longer than was expected.
Milton was born and raised on a farm in Wadesboro, North Carolina - the 7th of 11 children and the youngest of four sons - produced by Fred and Bessie Leake. Shortly after his 18th birthday and right out of high school, Milton began his life-changing experience as a Marine. He often talked fondly of how the brutal basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina "made me a man."
Milton came home from the war unscathed, but met with tragedy shortly thereafter. Traveling home to visit his father, Milton was hit by a drunk driver while walking down a road in Charlotte, and literally crushed. He would never be quite the same. He was in a coma for six months and would be paralyzed on his left side and had limited use of his right side for the remainder of his life. But that Marine toughness preserved and resonated in all that he had to endure.
Although Milton was forced to live in Veteran Administration nursing homes throughout much of his adult life, he never whimpered; never complained. Until the day he died of cancer, Milton E. Leake personified the Marine motto that he lived by - Semper Fi! It means "Always Faithful"-and that he was.
Milton is survived by one daughter Mia; three grandchildren; three loving sisters, Celia Jones of Columbus, OH; Ozella Ingram of Dover, DE; and Thalia Glenn, also of Dover, DE; one brother Bristol Leake of Philadelphia, PA; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by three sisters, Johnsie L. Eaton, Gladys S. Leake, and Geneva A. Wilson; and two brothers, William H. Leake and Franklin N. Leake.
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| Cemetery: |
Delaware Veteran's Cemetery - Millsboro
Millsboro, DE (map/driving directions)
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| Services: |
In-state at 10:00AM, Service at 11:00AM at Bennie Smith Funeral Home - Dover on Friday, January 8th, 2010 (map/driving directions)
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