Willard A. Greenleaf

Willard A. Greenleaf, formerly of Devils Lake, died January 14, 2009. He was 90 years old. Willard A. Greenleaf was born January 19, 1918 in Devils Lake, North Dakota. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Business Administration, he joined the Greenleaf Agency of Devils Lake, a family real estate and insurance agency started by his grandfather in 1925 and joined later by his father. He was with the firm 41 years, closing the firm and retiring in 1981. He married Doris A. Harrison on July 21, 1951. They established their home in Devils Lake. He served in the US Army in World War II from 1942 to 1946 being discharged with the rank of Warrant Officer, junior grade. His community activities were principally in the field of education. He served on the Devils Lake School Board as member and president, Lake Region Junior College, Board of Trustees as member and chairman, Jamestown College Board of Trustees, and the North Dakota Post Secondary Commission as member and chairman. He also served on the Community College Foundation Board of Directors and was named to the Lake Region State College Hall of Fame. He also served on the Devils Lake Special Assessment Commission and the Lake Region Heritage Center board. He was an elder and former treasurer of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Devils Lake, ND and a member of First Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, FL, life member of the Devils Lake Masonic Lodge and past master, member of Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Kiwanis Club. He was a life member of Devils Lake Elks Lodge #1216, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 2004, he relocated to Sarasota, Florida, where he had been a winter visitor for 20 years. He is survived by three daughters, Julie Magenheim, Sarasota, FL, Liz Gitter, Worthington, Ohio and Jenny Greenleaf, Portland, Oregon, eight grandchildren, and two great grandsons. His wife, Doris, and a daughter, Susan Greenleaf, preceded him in death. A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota on January 20, 2009. A commital service will be scheduled in Devils Lake, North Dakota, later this year. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota, your local food bank, or a charity of your choice.