Leon Sanchez Obituary
Leon Sanchez, 86, of Winchester, VA and formerly of Springfield, VA, died Thursday, February 3, 2011, in Westminster-Canterbury.
Mr. Sanchez was born in 1924, in Anton Chico, NM, the son of the late Candido and Beatrice Marquez Sanchez. He graduated from Bent County High School in Las Animas, Colorado, in May, 1943 and entered the service the following June. While serving during World War II with the 63rd Infantry Division, he was seriously wounded in combat on February 11, 1945. His decorations include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge.
After his honorable discharge in 1945, Mr. Sanchez studied at the American University in Washington, DC. He began his lifelong career of serving veterans as a National Service Officer for the Disabled American Veterans. He later served as National Executive Director for the American Veterans (AMVETS), until he joined the Veterans Administration. He retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1994.
He was active in the Mended Hearts, a support group for heart surgery patients affiliated with the American Heart Association. He also served as an officer with the VA Alumni Association. He was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
His wife, Frances Mae Orange Sanchez, whom he married on November 20, 1946, in Prospect, VA, preceded him in death on June 29, 1987.
He is survived by his three children; Cassandra Sanchez, MD and her husband Kenneth Schiller of Honolulu, HI; Brian Sanchez and his wife Teresa of Blacksburg, VA; and Maria Sanchez Yost and her husband Bruce of Winchester, VA; and six grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Susan Sanchez of Deland, FL and Sylvia Whitworth of Denver, CO, and one brother, Henry “Hank” Sanchez of Denver, CO.
A funeral service will be conducted on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 2:45 pm at Fort Myer Chapel, to be followed by burial with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. A reception will follow immediately after at the Fort Myer Officers Club.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mended Hearts Chapter 200, PO Box 897, Annandale, VA 22003 or the SVWC Employee Emergency Fund, 300 Westminster-Canterbury Dr, Winchester, VA 22603.
Please view obituaries and tribute wall at www.ompsfuneralhome.com.