Leon Ivan Garfield

Leon was known as a jack of all trades and had stories, a room full of trophies, and a long list of accomplishments including the following: He was an award winning bass fisherman; he was an extreme marksman with countless archery and benchrest shooting championships at both local and state levels; he earned professional archery sponsorships from PSE, Hoyt, and Vaportrail Strings; he participated in the 2010 ESPN Games as an elite archer; he was an award winning competition steel target challenge shooter; and he was an important member of USPSA Team Bumble.

As you can tell, Leon was an avid supporter of the second amendment, but he also was a major advocate for firearm and weapon safety. Leon was known as the local firearm and archery technician. If you lived in Lyndon and needed a bow fixed, your trigger sensitivity adjusted, or just some shooting lessons, you have most likely been in his “shop” (his basement). He was also an automotive specialist and the crew chief for Richard Lamont and one of his best friends, Steve Jardine, back in the day. Leon and Steve were also known as the local foosball champions.

Even though Leon was a fierce competitor, he always had others' best interests in mind. Anything he ever perfected, he was eager to teach anyone willing to learn. He was a well respected mentor to many, and always put others before himself. He was the Union President at Kennametal and always fought for what was right for his fellow people. He was a true, god loving American patriot, and a firm believer of fighting for what you believe in.

When Leon wasn’t busy perfecting his craft of choice at the time or lending a hand where it was needed, you could either find him in the woods, “God’s Country” as he would say, or riding his Harley named Freedom. He was a very successful hunter that created many stories and memories with anyone he went hunting with.

The one thing Leon loved the most was his friends and family. He was known as a gentle giant as well as a bodyguard for those he loved. One of his life long best friends, Chris Carr, said it best, no matter if they were cruising around town as teenagers, or if he was standing next to him as the best man at his wedding, Leon always had an ear for listening and gave the best advice. Leon was a very passionate person, and whenever he set his mind to something, he was all in. He was an amazing father who always led by example and he believed that honesty was the best policy. But most of all, Leon was full of love. If you were one of the lucky ones to be loved by Leon, you know that he loved with all of his heart and everything he had. Leon left an impact on everyone he met, so even though he may be gone, he will not be forgotten.