Pete Conrad Leonard

July 5, 2022

Pete Conrad Leonard, 73, passed away Monday, June 27, 2022, in Bonners Ferry. Services with full military honors will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 16, at Mt. Hall Community Church, 1554 Highway 1, Bonners Ferry.

Pete was born April 13, 1949, in Taft, California, to Charles and Vera Messenbrink-Hughes. After the death of his mother, Pete and his sisters came to live with John and Loretta Messenbrink-Leonard in Bonners Ferry.

Pete attended Northside School and Valley View. He graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1968 and quickly enlisted for the Marines. He was sent to radio school in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and from there volunteered to go to Vietnam as a "radio humper." In November, 1970, the truck he was riding in hit a landmine, which resulted in him being injured. For this he received a purple heart. Pete came home in April of 1971 and was honorably discharged in 1972.

Pete was a jack-of-all-trades who could fix anything he put his hand to. Fishing was one of his passions, along with woodworking and creating stained glass.

He loved and looked forward to the parades that he would be able to march in while wearing his dress blues and especially enjoyed being able to throw candy out during the parade. He would always go to Winco to get candy for the kids. One time he even drove to Winco to get candy for the kids at 6 a.m. the morning of a parade because nobody had remembered to buy the candy!

Pete is survived by his wife, Kathy, Bonners Ferry, step-daughter Kelsey (Jesse) Harman, Hayden, grandchildren Colton, Mia, and Kyla Harman, sisters Lori Couch (Jerry), Florida, Cindy (Mark) Tee, Washington, Sheryl Alcott, Naples, and many nieces/great nieces, nephews/great nephews.

Pete is also survived by all of his brothers and sisters in the VFW and his many friends he met on his journey in life.