Leon G. Chalifour

Leon G. Chalifour, age 92, of Wilmington, passed away on February 25, 2025, at home surrounded by love and family.
Leon was born in Salem, MA on August 4, 1932. He was the eldest son of the late Leon and Regina (Charest) Chalifour. Leon was raised and educated in Danvers, MA. As a teen, he worked on a farm with his brother Paul, with whom he would later enter the United States Navy in 1952. They both were assigned to the destroyer USS Abbot and were veterans of the Korean War. In 1954 they circumnavigated the globe aboard the Abbot, making ports of call around the world. After being discharged in 1956 he used the G.I. Bill to further his education, attending Coyne Electrical & Technical School. He was also a longtime member of the Tin Can Sailors Association, a fraternal organization of United States Navy destroyer veterans. In later years, he would often be an honorary crewman of the USS Cassin Young (a sister ship to the USS Abbot) during her annual turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor.
Leon married the love of his life, Marilyn (McPhee) on May 12, 1962, and the same year, the couple settled in Wilmington where they raised their four children. Leon loved family above everything. He was a doting husband, a loving, fun and interactive father, a wonderful friend and neighbor, and loved keeping up strong bonds with his five siblings.
He worked for DRC (Dynamics Research Corp) for 34 years as a machinist, at one point working on a critical piece of the Apollo Space Program's inertial guidance system. One can genuinely say that the astronauts went to the Moon and back in part because of Leon's contributions.
Leon was an artist in many ways – fine art with painting, drawing, pen & ink, carving, as well as playing the guitar and piano.
Leon had a green thumb and grew an amazing vegetable garden – carrying that green thumb to work where he also grew tomatoes outside the parking lot. Alongside Marilyn, he created beautiful flower beds and a yard that became an arboretum. He was a builder also – building the shed, the carport, the screened-in porch and the family room addition. He enjoyed working on his different saws and lathes creating beautiful carvings and contraptions that would fix a myriad of problems around the house as well as games for kids and adults alike. At work, during his free time and lunches, he would create metal works of art and intricate puzzles. He also enjoyed traveling with "my Marilyn" as he often referred to her, for day trips along the coast and through the back roads of New England. They enjoyed visiting Marcelle and Donald in Altadena, San Diego or Palm Springs. In 1988, they did a "trip of a lifetime" across the country - seeing landmarks and discovering the history of the places they visited. In later years, they loved their time together in their Wells, ME cottage. Leon was an award-winning artist - he used every medium for painting and drawing (oil, acrylics, charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, watercolor, drawing, sculpting, carving). He also loved music and played guitar and piano, continuing with the piano after the stroke. He could hear a song once and teach himself – using just one hand.
Leon loved life. That sums up his spirit and fight. He suffered a massive stroke in 2002, one that doctors said he miraculously survived – and he not only survived but despite hemiplegia and aphasia, he thrived. He worked hard to gain back some mobility, some words, and many of the creative endeavors he enjoyed before - drawing and painting, playing the piano. He never felt sorry for himself, never got angry, he went on being grateful for the people and the things he still had. Leon had a smile and an energy that was infectious and lit up every room and every interaction he had. He was truly a rare human, and everyone loved him.
Music was always a big part of Leon's life too: he played guitar and piano with his brother, Paul, and played the harmonica in earlier years. He loved country and folk music mostly. He would watch Ken Burns' Country Music series, 2 George Jones specials, and the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration. He discovered the family group: the Petersons and became a huge fan. He also loved Andrea Bocelli and Tim Janis. In the early morning, he would rise to the Soundtrack of Oklahoma, listen to Andrea Bocelli duets in the shower, and during his coffee break and time outside in his yard, he would listen to John Denver, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Don McLean, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Lauren Daigle and the Carpenters.
Leon was also an animal and nature lover. He raised geese and ducks, rabbits, loved the family cats and dogs, and could sit out in his yard making friends with the large variety of birds, chipmunks, squirrels, groundhogs, turkey and deer. Any animal that was timid of others, would gather round him without fear. He had that energy that attracted people and animals alike.
Leon was the beloved husband of and now joins his cherished wife, the late Marilyn J. (McPhee); he was the devoted father of Paul Chalifour and wife Deborah of Wilmington, William Chalifour of Westford, Dianne Chalifour of Portsmouth, NH, and the late Margaret Chalifour. He was the cherished son of the late Leon and Regina (Charest) Chalifour. He was the dear brother of Fern and Richard Collins of Danvers, Marcelle and Donald Crunkleton of Altadena, CA, and George Chalifour of Rochester, NH. He was the brother-in-law of Karen (McPhee) McNaughton. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. He has now also joined his late brother Paul A., late sister Annette (Weldon) and late brother-in-law, James Weldon, late sister-in-law, Diane Chalifour and special nephew the late Joseph H. Chalifour, and the late brother-in-law Robert McNaughton, as well as his beloved in-laws Angus and Mary (DeMatteo) McPhee, and Guido and Edna DeMatteo. He is also reuniting with his close friends, Robert and Elizabeth Landrigan, Carol (Sawin) Fraser, Will McDonald, and John Lomas.
Family and friends will gather at St. Theresa Church, 466 Boston Road (Rte. 3A) Billerica, MA for a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 12:00 in the afternoon. Interment with Military Honors to follow at Wildwood Cemetery in Wilmington, MA. Visiting hours will be held at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Avenue Wilmington, MA on Friday March 7, 2025, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Leon's memory may be made to Rosie's Place or Lowell Humane Society, or any charity of your choice.
To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit our website at www.nicholsfuneralhome.com