Leonard E. Caley

Leonard E. Caley, long time resident of Livermore, died June 2. He was 90.

Caley spent his childhood in Cheyenne, Wyo., with brothers Keith and Kenneth, who taught him about hardships and hard work. He and his beloved wife, Dylis, raised Leonard, Jr., Donna, Dylis Anne, and Dennis in Lynwood, Calif. before coming to work for LLNL in Livermore.

After working many years as a master machinist in a paper mill, he jumped at the opportunity to improve the family’s circumstances and his employment when he moved them to Livermore in 1960. His sense of pride and accomplishment grew steadily from the many projects he worked on and the many people he met during his 26 years at the Lab.

He and his wife were able to enjoy their love of dancing and Dixieland at many festivals across the country, especially the last 30 of their 70 years together. The Oakland A's and SF 49ers provided many happy hours for Caley through the years. His greatest sports love, however, was golf. He and his golfing buddies in the SIRS group enjoyed many great years of golf and great friendship. He never met a stranger and embraced all aspects of his life with his optimism and joy.

He and his father were Masons, and Caley loved Asbury Methodist Church in Livermore, where he could be found every Sunday. He served as a caregiver for his wife, Dylis, for many years before she passed away March 2, 2011.

A memorial service will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church on East Avenue in Livermore at 2 p.m. on June 23. At his request, donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to "Fellowship Hall Fund" Asbury Methodist Church or the American Melanoma Foundation, 4150 Regents Park Row, Suite 300, La Jolla, CA 92037.