Leon Dan Langlitz 1928 - 2022

Leon Dan Langlitz was born May 19, 1928, and passed away with his loving family by his side on June 12, 2022. The son of Dan and Bernice Langlitz, Leon was born in Hood River, Oregon, before moving to McMinnville, Oregon, in 1930 with his siblings, sister, Eula Mae (Mickey), and brother, Ross.

Growing up, many of the skills Leon acquired were self-taught. He was a master of many crafts: construction, plumbing, electrical and car mechanics, just to name a few. He was a champion roller skater, accomplished downhill and water skier, a maker of custom recurve bows, and he proudly won a mustache competition to commemorate Oregon’s Centennial in McMinnville back in 1959. He met his wife, Bonnie Ebert, at the Mack Theater, where she worked at the ticket booth. They married in 1957 at First Baptist Church in McMinnville, and were married for nearly 57 years before her passing in 2014.

Leon had four children whom he loved dearly, Ron, Lisa, Rick and Marla. During his adult years, he had many business ventures. He owned and managed several rental properties as well as owning and operating Dan’s Auto Electric in the 1940s, a shop he and his father ran until the 1960s. Following that, Leon and a friend, Mel Sprecher, built and ran what was formally known as the Rec Center in McMinnville, next to the current Dairy Queen, consisting of a large slot car track, pool tables and a grill. The Rec Center closed in the 1970s, and Leon later went to work for Chuck Colvin Ford, becoming a top salesman until he opened Leon’s Auto Sales with wife Bonnie in the 80s, selling used cars and operating a rental car business. In the 1990s, Leon and Bonnie closed that business, retired, purchased an RV, and traveled, becoming snowbirds in Yuma, Arizona, every year until the tragic passing of their son, Rick, in 2011.

Leon and Bonnie, together with their children and the Collins and Matz families, enjoyed annual camping trips to Todd Lake that quickly grew in size with the growth of their families. More important than the accomplishments Leon had throughout his 94 years of life was his character. He was a good person; a wise and humble man. He was a hard worker who could quite literally do anything he put his mind to.

Leon was a man who deeply cared about his loved ones. He wasn’t always a man of many words, and though a stroke took his ability to speak well into his later years, he had a smile that could light up a room and eyes that could tell stories only the soul could understand. Up until his death, he still lived independently and could be seen outside mowing the lawn and caring for his property.

Leon will be dearly missed by many. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and Bernice; sister, Eula Mae (Mickey); brother, Ross; wife, Bonnie; and son, Rick. Leon is survived by his son Ron (Nancy); daughters, Lisa, and Marla (Lance Nuttman); four grandchildren, Chris Corff, Kyle Corff, Rena Langlitz (Jason Atkinson), and Katie Quinlan (Kody); as well as six great-grandchildren, Kyah and Evan Corff, Zoe and Vallon Corff, and Finley and Camden Quinlan.

A Celebration of Life is planned from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 9, 2022, at the home of Leon’s son Ron, in McMinnville. Please RSVP for details on location to Nancy Langlitz, 503-434-5957, email rnrklang@comcast.net or Lisa Langlitz 971-237-4811.

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