In Memoriam: 1930s

Notices sorted by graduation date

John Carroll Leys (Col ’36) of Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, died Sept. 22, 2015. At the University, he was captain of the football team and a member of the IMP Society and T.I.L.K.A. He still holds UVA’s record for longest play/reception: a 97-yard touchdown against Navy. Mr. Leys played professional football for the Richmond Arrows and worked for the Lynchburg Foundry before enlisting in the Navy to serve during World War II; he was on Omaha Beach on D-Day during the Allied assaults and in 2013 was inducted into the French Legion of Honor for his service. He and his family lived in Waynesboro, where for 45 years he was purchasing agent for the Crompton-Shenandoah textile firm. He was a vestryman at his church and an active member of the Waynesboro Planning Commission before retiring to Charlottesville. Survivors include two daughters, one son, a granddaughter, and a great-grandson.