SHERBURNE – Leslie A. Monroe, 85, of State Route 12, passed away Friday, May 23, 2008 at University Hospital, Syracuse.
He was born May 25, 1922 in Pharsalia, a son of Daniel and Jennie White Monroe and received his education in South Otselic schools. Les proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II. On Jan. 1, 1943, he married Ila M. Byrd in Smyrna. Les was a school bus driver for Sherburne-Earlville Central School from 1952 to 1960, and then from 1971 to 1984. He had been a fire marshal at the Norwich Pharmacy from 1960 to 1971, and was the owner of Monroe’s Nursery in Sherburne from 1962 until his retirement in 1993. He had previously worked at Victory Markets in Smyrna from 1946 to 1948, and was the chief of police in Sherburne from 1948 to 1960.
Les was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Sherburne; a former member and past master of the F&AM Lodge #444 of Sherburne, where he was Mason of the Year in 1992; a charter member of the Sampson WWII Navy Veterans, Inc.; a member of the Civil War Roundtable, Norwich; and the National Rifle Association. He was an avid hunter and loved to garden, starting all his plants from seed.
Surviving are his wife, Ila; three sons, Daniel B. Monroe of Smyrna; William F. Monroe of Sherburne; and Fredrick A. Monroe of Chicago, IL; a daughter, Doris Monroe of Earlville; seven grandchildren, Tammy Sweet of Fort Plain; Amy Graham of Smyrna; Carrie Monroe of Sherburne; Lindsey Monroe of Sherburne; Brian Shaw of Hamilton; Jeremy Shaw of Earlville and Eric Graham of Smyrna; a sister, Mary Lou Planeta of Jackson, MI; a son-in-law, Gary Graham of Smyrna; 6 great grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews. A daughter, Nancy Graham predeceased him on February 12, 2008. He was also predeceased by a daughter-in-law, Patricia Monroe.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday from the Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home, 10 S. Main St., Sherburne, followed by interment with military honors in the Willcox Cemetery, Town of Smyrna.
Friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Tuesday from Nnoon until 2 p.m. prior to the service.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the First United Methodist Church, PO Box 556, Sherburne, NY 13460; or to the Sherburne Emergency Squad, Sherburne, NY 13460.