Leonard R Juranek

Leonard Ray Juranek, born on January 8, 1949, in Wray, lived a life full of passion and dedication until his passing on May 30, 2025. As the eldest of four siblings, Leonard was born to Joe and Dorothy in the old Wray hospital. He spent his entire life in Wray, except for two years when he served honorably in Vietnam with the 84th engineering battalion, attaining the rank of corporal. After returning from Vietnam, Leonard met and married Ellen Benedict. They shared 38 years of happiness until Ellen's untimely passing from cancer. Although they had no children, Leonard and Ellen enjoyed weekends filled with fishing, stock car racing, RC plane meets, and black powder shooting, all of which were Leonard's passions. Leonard dedicated over 25 years to working for the city, maintaining the parks and keeping Wray beautiful. Known as the 'lawn mower man,' he was the go-to person for fixing lawn mowers and other machinery, including boat motors. Leonard cherished the relationships he built with his customers and was a true people person, known for his friendly presence at Wray Super, where he enjoyed coffee and conversation with friends. Leonard is survived by his brother Kelly, sister Mary, cousins Mark and Max Shively, cousin Bruce Juranek, sister-in-law Cindy Juranek, many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and his many friends. He was predeceased by his mother Dorothy, father Joe, brother Bryan, and many aunts and uncles on both sides.