Byron Leach

Byron ONeal Leach, of Nashville, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012.He was born on April 18, 1932, in Milan, Tenn.Mr. Leach was the son of the late Hobart Porter and Bennie Caldwell Perkins Leach.He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Patsy Ruth Phillips Leach; children, Lesa Christine Leach Eden, of Nashville, Anthony Byron Leach, of Chattanooga, and Jeffrey Allan Leach, of Richmond, Calif.; siblings, Avonelle Todd of Hernando, Miss., Porter Leach, of Kingston, Tenn., and Vivian Coleman, of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; grandchildren, Ryan Preston Gaines, Evan ONeal Gaines and Lauren Brynne Gaines, all of Nashville, Davis Anthony Leach and Griffin ONeal Leach, both of Chattanooga, Maya Ruth Leach and Naomi Issa Leach, both of Richmond, Calif.; great-grandchildren, Hunter Preston Gaines and Rhiannon Paige Gaines, both of Nashville.Mr. Leach served in the US Army during the Korean War with the 2998th Engineers Treadway Bridge Company constructing bridges our troops would use during combat. After his service to his county, he would retire from The Stanley-Carter Co. of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Mr. Leach was a longtime member of Ridgedale Baptist Church in Chattanooga.In lieu of customary floral tributes, memorials may be made to your favorite church ministry or WoundedWarriorProject.org.Funeral services will be the morning of Friday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. at Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist East Brainerd Chapel.Visitation will be one hour prior to the chapel service. Placement will follow in Chattanooga National Cemetery.Arrangements are by the East Brainerd Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, 8214 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga.