Donn Allon Leach passed away January 19, 2024. Donn was born the son of Lucille Hostetler in St. Louis, MO, on January 26, 1929. He was immediately adopted by Vern C. and Nora Etta (Leavitt) Leach and reared in and near Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Mars Hill grade school and Ben Davis High School. He became major and commanding officer of the ROTC and played first trumpet in the marching band. He graduated and entered college while still sixteen years of age. He accepted Christ and was baptized at age eleven and delivered newspapers, sometimes managing four routes, two of them on Stout Army Air Field during World War II.
He graduated summa cum laude from Lincoln Bible Institute (now Lincoln Christian University) in Illinois in 1950. While there he played on the basketball second team for four and half years. He then received two degrees, Bachelor of Divinity in three years and Master of Arts, from the Butler School of Religion at Butler University and was elected to the honorary societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Theta Phi. He then received a Doctor of Theology degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago in 1960. During this time, Donn served several churches on weekends, namely Concord, Illinois and Franklin Illinois, and Greensfolk, Indiana. At First Christian Church in Kenosha, WI from 1955 to 1959, he led the church to significant growth in numbers and giving and helped them relocate to a new building. In 1951, he was married after a brief, mostly postal, courtship to Joan Baldwin of Perryville, KY. They had two sons, Dann and John, in 1953 and 1955 respectively.
Donn then served as Professor of New Testament at Lincoln Christian Seminary (IL) for fourteen years. During this time, he personally, with some help from friends, built their home on campus. On weekends, he helped establish nearly a dozen new congregations, mostly in the greater Chicago area, preaching on weekends for six months to a year at each place. In 1972 he became Professor of Bible at Manhattan Christian College (KS). On weekends he helped with the start of new churches at Hutchinson and McPherson, KS. He also served as Vice President for Academics for several years. He was a member of the Society of Biblical Literature. On sabbatical in 1980-81, he and Joan undertook a four-week tent and auto tour of Western Europe and helped in the establishment of Springdale College in Birmingham, England. Donn also attended lectures occasionally at the University of Cambridge.
In 1989, he became the Professor of Bible and Academic Dean of Springdale College in Birmingham, England. While there, he became a co-minister of the Bromsgrove Christian Church and was elected president of the Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Great Britian and Ireland.
He then moved to Virginia, USA, where he became associate minister of Countryside Christian Church, a new church plant near Richmond, for two years and then associate minister for the Williamsburg Christian Church for two more years. In 1999, he returned to Manhattan, KS to be nearer family. Joan passed away in 2016 and in February of 2018 he married his dear wife Marceline (Marcy) Cassel, of Manhattan. She passed away April 8, 2023.
He has been active in University Christian Church, several years as an elder. He served as a supply preacher in the area. He taught part time at Manhattan Christian College from 1999-2018. Over the years he developed a rental real estate business, which he helped to maintain. He was a member of the Manhattan Rotary Club, the Manhattan Barbershop Harmony Society, and the Master Gardeners. He was active as a gardener and a player of doubles tennis.
His beloved wife, Joan, predeceased him in September 2016 after nearly sixty-five years of marriage. He was also predeceased by his parents and sister Jane.
On February 3, 2018 he was married to the wonderful Marcy Cassel who passed April 8, 2023.
He is survived by his son Dann (Cindy) and three grandsons: Michael, Ryan, and Daniel, of Valley Center, KS; and son John (Kristi) and their children: Aaron “Tucker” and Hayley, of Longmont, CO. He also leaves sister Nancy Hanson of Olivet, MI, a few cousins, and many friends.
The family will greet friends during a visitation from 5:00 until 6:30 p.m. Monday January 29, 2024 at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home in Manhattan.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday January 30, 2024 at the University Christian Church, 2800 Claflin Road in Manhattan. Interment will follow in the Sunrise Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions in memory of Donn to the UCC Missionary Fund. Contributions may be sent in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.