Leonard S. Solis
BENSENVILLE, Ill. — Leonard S. Solis, 76, passed away Monday, July 13, 2020. He was born on the family farm in rural Delta County, Mich., on Oct. 17, 1943. He was the tenth of the 11 children of John and Clara (Kleiman) Solis. Leonard attended grammar school in a one-room schoolhouse he walked to with his brothers and sisters. A treasured photograph from that time shows him seated at a wooden desk in a room crowded with children and a stern faced teacher. Leonard graduated from Gladstone High School in 1962.
Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Berg, on Dec. 28, 1963. The farmer’s life was not for him and job prospects were few so Lenny moved to Illinois to work at his brother’s construction company after high school. In 1974 he joined M Myers Properties, later Prairie Management & Development, Inc. Len was a loyal, honest and well respected man whose work ethic granted him great success in his career. Leonard was also a skilled union carpenter who built his own home where he and Marilyn raised their three daughters Christina, Melissa, and Sarah. His world was his family and he delighted in his grandchildren.
Leonard was a man who loved to tell stories about his life and the people in it. He especially enjoyed humor and could make a joke out of anything just to get a laugh or a smile from someone. There was never a family get together without a card game, jokes, and laughter. Leonard was a selfless man dedicated to his family. To us, there is no version of him that was anything other than kind.
Leonard had intense pride in his family. He supported Marilyn’s creative flair, his daughters’ talents and accomplishments as well as the endeavors of his grandchildren. He spent countless hours as a spectator to choir, band, dance and drama performances, wrestling matches and gymnastics meets, award ceremonies and graduations. He was there cheering us on without fail. His tender-hearted generosity always included his time. While Lenny would probably not have called himself a mentor, he was. He offered guidance and encouragement to those making their way in the world. Leonard had a solution to a problem no matter how big or small every time.
Leonard is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his daughters, Christina (Jerry) Meyer, Melissa (Shawn) Buehler, and Sarah (James) Hanson; grandchildren, Erik, Iain, and Elizabeth Buehler, Lenny and Charlie Hanson; brothers, Francis (Ilene) Solis, Ben (Laura) Solis, Richard (Judy) Solis; sisters, Helen Jardis and Marie (Bill) Wolkenhaeur; brother-in-law, Gordon Wilson and numerous nieces and nephews.
Leonard missed those who preceded him: his parents, John and Clara Solis; his in-laws, Einar and Margaret Berg; brothers, John “Red”, Walter, and Ed Solis; sisters, Clara Wilson and Bernice “Bernie” Karas; brothers-in-law, Bill Jardis, Bob Karas, Ross Sullinger; sisters-in-law, Rosemary Solis, Alice Solis, and Shirley Solis.
A service for immediate family will be held on Friday, July 17, at 1 p.m, at First United Methodist Church, located at 328 S. Church Road in Bensenville, Ill. Those attending must bring and wear their own face masks in order to participate. The ceremony will be recorded and posted online. Details will be available at https://m.facebook.com/marilyn_berg_solis.
The family strongly suggests that, due to COVID-19, those interested in attending please consider viewing the online recording rather than personal attendance. Internment of the remains will be at Fernwood Cemetary in Gladstone, Mich., at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice in Leonard’s name.