Kenneth “Ken” Leon

Ken Leon was born on January 1, 1938, and died on January 28, 2026, at the age of 88. Services with Military Honors will be held May 15, 2026, at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet, Minnesota. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will continue until the 11:00 a.m. funeral service. Refreshments will follow. Interment will be held at 1:00 p.m. at Maple Grove Cemetery.

Ken was the youngest of three other siblings, born to John Sr. and Meldora (Cutland) Leon. He grew up in Cloquet, graduating from Cloquet High School in 1956. He enjoyed playing high school football and competing in downhill slalom skiing. He met his wife Sue Ganter during this period and had their first date at Sammy's Pizza in Duluth. He joined the Air Force ROTC where he earned his bachelors in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technical University in Houghton, Michigan. After college he fulfilled his Air Force commitment by serving 3 years ('61-'64) as a 2nd Lieutenant and Captain of the Air Force Pistol Team where he earned many of the top ranking competition scoring metals. Ken and Sue gave birth to Tim and Kim as Air Force babies, followed by Kathy shortly after while working for GE.

Ken moved on to work for Chroma-Glo as VP of Sales and Operations for about 20 years and finished his career as a National Sales Manager for Hallett Wire. He got a new company car every 2 years and spent a lot of windshield time servicing clients throughout the mid-central USA. His trunk was loaded with fishing, hunting, and golf paraphernalia. Ken had a knack for knowing which activity each client preferred. When he contemplated retiring, we reminded him he would have to pay to play! Ken was committed to family and community. He served as School Board Chairman for Wrenshall High School for about 13 years ending in 1982. He learned early that listening before talking was key to being a voice of reason and bringing others together.

Ken and Sue raised their three children in the Wrenshall school system, encouraging and supporting a variety of interests and extra-curricular activities. Most summers were spent living in a camper on Island, Fish, and Hanging Horn Lakes ensuring he was close to his boat for the evening and weekend bite! Many lifelong friends were made by all in the campgrounds and on the lakes.

Ken and Sue were empty nesters in their early 40's. Ken balanced work, family, fishing, hunting, and golf for many years. After retirement he migrated more towards golf with Sue as they became snow birds in Hemet, CA, escaping the harsh MN winters. Ken wasn't much for reading or TV. During his down time, he enjoyed keeping his brain active by solving video game adventure challenges. He liked competing against the system and got frustrated as technology squeezed gamers into online accounts and SaaS (Software as a Service) revenue generation models. Ken was especially proud of his family and enjoyed long conversations with family from all generations. He was always up for a game of cards, golf, fishing, or anything that enabled precious family time.

Ken is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Sue (Ganter) Leon; son, Tim (Julie) Leon; daughters, Kim (Scott) Meier and Kathy Leon; nine grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren. Tim's children include Ajay (Casey Simon) Leon and their children, Oliver and Penelope; Bryant Leon; Trinitti Leon (Matt Speegle); Logan (Hannah Farley) Leon; and Macki Leon. Kim's children include Ashlee (Joey) Lundquist and their child, James; and Emma (Scotty) Stay. Kathy's children include Alanna (Lucas) Johnson and their children, Isabella and Elleanor; and Klaeton (Bridget Tesser) Bubb and their children, Brixton, Wrenly, and Kolter. Ken is also survived by many other loving in-laws from the Ganter, Thompson, Nemmers, and Nynas families. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Meldora; sister, Marie Lindquist; and brothers, John Jr. and Ernie Sr.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the National Kidney Foundation.

The family would like to thank the CMH staff who took care of Ken during his final days. Their care was genuine; as if they were caring for family.