Leo Linck

Leo Linck led a life saturated with honesty, integrity and respect, and dedicated to his family and his faith. He was a hardworking and generous man; loving husband, attentive father and doting grandfather. Leo tried every day to be the best man he could, and was rewarded with a life of happiness for his efforts. America saw many changes in the year that Leo was born. The dark days of World War I still covered the European continent, though the last battles would soon come to a close. The post-war period found the United States in a state of great prosperity with industries feverishly attempting to meet worldwide demands for goods. As the nation went through a time of great growth, so did the Linck family of Ravenna, Michigan. In the summer of 1918, Sylvester J. S.J. Linck and his wife, Maud (Finkler), were busily preparing for the arrival of their first child. On May 24, 1918, the couple welcomed the birth of a healthy baby boy, a son they named Leo Lawrence. Leo wasnt an only child for long and was soon a big brother to six siblings: Agatha, Helen, Sylvester Jr. Bets, Irene, John and Thomas. Along with his siblings, Leo grew up on their family farm called Village Farm in Ravenna. Here, the family grew various vegetables and raised chickens and cows, though the majority of their income was made on their strawberry crops, which they sold at farmers markets in both Ravenna and Muskegon. Leos parents made sure the children learned responsibility by pitching in with daily chores and working the fields. While his mother worked with the children on the farm, Leos father worked as a teacher, though later helped found the Ravenna State Bank, of which he served as President for many years. The Lincks were a strong, close-knit family who based their life around family values, hard work and faith. The family was longtime members of St. Catherines Catholic Church in Ravenna. For high school, Leo attended St. Joseph Seminary in Grand Rapids, where he played the coronet in the school band. After graduating, he went on to attend St. Marys Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied to be a priest. Some time later, Leo decided to pursue a career as a lawyer, so after earning his BA in Philosophy at St. Marys, he enrolled in classes at Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, Indiana. It was while in law school that Leo was introduced to his beautiful wife-to-be, Teresa Goncer, through her cousin, who was from his hometown of Ravenna. Teresa was a nursing student at the St. Joseph School of Nursing in South Bend, which was near Notre Dame and Leo. The two soon began dating and fell hopelessly in love. After graduating from law school in 1942, Leo began practicing law in Lansing, while Teresa worked at Hackley Hospital in Muskegon. Then, in 1944, Leo followed the same patriotic calling of many other young men of the time, and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp. He proudly served during World War II, and was stationed stateside until his honorable discharge in 1946. It wasnt long before Leo and Teresa were planning a wedding and happily tied the knot on June 25, 1949. The newlyweds settled into married life together in Ravenna, and it wasnt but a year later that they welcomed the birth of their first child, daughter Mary. She was later joined by Marti in 1953, Leo in 1955, David in 1957, and Joe in 1962. In the mid 1950s, Leo and Teresa decided to move their family to Muskegon, so that their children could get a good education attending the Catholic schools. Leo took great pride in the fact that all his kids graduated from Muskegon Catholic Central and went on to receive college educations. Like his childhood, Leo and Teresa raised their children in the Catholic faith and were longtime members of St. Francis deSales Catholic Church. Leo was a well-respected attorney in Muskegon and had a successful practice for 65 years. During this time, he was active in many organizations, including as a member of the Notre Dame Alumni Association, Muskegon Notre Dame Club, Muskegon and Michigan Bar Associations. Leo was also a lifetime member of the Ravenna American Legion, a member of the Noachite Lodge of the Muskegon Shrine Club, the Muskegon Elks Lodge, where he was once voted Elk of the year, and the Old Newsboys, where he helped with the fundraisers for over 60 years. Outside of work, Leo liked to fill his leisure time with golfing. As an avid golfer, he played on leagues with the Lincoln Golf Club and the Elks Golf Club. Leo also enjoyed playing golf with his lovely wife, Teresa, when the opportunity arose. He and Teresa were a very sociable couple and liked to entertain and attended many events hosted by the Clubs Leo belonged to. Once the couple had an empty nest of kids, they began traveling and took several memorable trips, including to Ireland and Greece. At home, in his quieter moments, Leo liked to read poetry and even wrote some of his own. Above all, family was always the greatest source of Leos happiness. He was a very proud Grandpa and spent much time with his grandkids. And in his great wisdom, he always had some small tidbit of advise to give them. The entire Linck family stayed closely connected through the years and looked forward to every family gathering or wedding for which they could be together. Leo led an active life all the way up to his 80s. His health then began to weaken, and he went to live at the Poppen Hospice House until his passing on Saturday, August 30, 2008, at the age of 90. Leo was a hardworking man, with a strong faith in God. Family was the most cherished thing in his life. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Leo is survived by his wife, Teresa; 3 sons: Leo Linck, Jr. of Muskegon, David (Suzanne) Linck of TX, Joseph (Jacquelyn) Lick of Grand Rapids; 2 daughters: Mary (David) Kirvan of Grand Rapids, Marti (Bruce) Bourdon of Muskegon; 1 sister, Irene (Frank) Petelle; 3 brothers: S.J. "Bets" (Jeanette) Linck, John (Phyllis) Linck, Thomas (Patricia) Linck; 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his 2 sisters, Agatha Denhof & Helen Pierson, and his granddaughter, Elizabeth. Services for Leo will be held on Friday, September 5, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Francis deSales Catholic Church with Fr. Thomas Simons officiating. Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery. Friends and relatives may visit with Leos family on Thursday, September 4, from 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Muskegon County Catholic Education Fund or Rescue Mission. Please visit Leos personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with his family or sign his online guest book.