SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – Leon W. Kenyon, 89, of Saxtons River passed away in his home surrounded by family on Feb. 17, 2022. Leon (Skeek) was born Nov. 27, 1932 in Grafton, Vt. in the house where he was raised. The oldest of five children to Walter and Annis (Fisher) Kenyon, he was the eighth generation Fisher to live on Fisher Hill in Grafton.
He attended Leland and Gray High School and graduated class of 1950 in North Bend, Ore.
He married Patricia Saunders on Dec. 2, 1978.
Skeek worked many various jobs throughout his life including farming, working in a sawmill, truck driver, underwater welder, and logger, and was proud of the fact that he never filled out an employment application. He enjoyed fishing, boating, bird watching, and spending time with friends and family. Skeek had a special way with animals and raised and trained several teams of oxen. He loved to see what was over the next hill and always seemed to find the road less traveled, which usually involved a dirt road. He was known for his quick wit and ability to tell a great story.
He is survived by his wife, Pat, and children, Leon (Michelle) Kenyon of Cape Coral, Fla., Beverly (Normand) Gagnon of Milford, N.H., Raymond Kenyon of Wabasha, Minn., Sharon (Gary) Schmalzriedt of Wabasha, Minn., Kimberly (Edmund) Mack of Grafton, Vt., Stephen Saunders of Athens, Vt., and Janie (Warren) Hisler of Waldoboro, Maine; twenty-four grandchildren, forty-seven great grandchildren, two sisters – Alice Culver of Newfane, Vt., and Christine DeCamp of Bellows Falls, Vt. as well as many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his brothers Willard Kenyon and Carleton (Pug) Kenyon; two children – Michael Saunders and Amy Saunders; a grandson Steven Schmalzriedt; and a great-granddaughter Alyssa Schmalzriedt.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests sending a donation to Vermont Food Bank, 33 Parker Road, Wilson Industrial Park, Barre, VT 05641, website: www.vtfoodbank.org, or a charity of your choice.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 1 – 4 p.m. at the Grafton Chapel, 4 Main St. We encourage anyone with stories about Skeek to share them at that time. He loved a great story!