Aberdeen - Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for LeRoy Melvin Mack, 61, of Aberdeen, will be 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Aberdeen. Father Gregory Tschakert will be officiating. LeRoy's wishes were to be cremated and interment of his cremated remains will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens Mausoleum at a later date. Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements. There will be a liturgical wake service 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the mortuary and one hour before the funeral mass at the church on Thursday. LeRoy passed away Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls. LeRoy Melvin Mack was born Feb. 6, 1944, to Arthur M. and Irene M. (Mathemeier) Mack at Leola, S.D., where he was raised, attended Leola Public Schools and graduated from Leola High School in 1962. While in high school, LeRoy received the Outstanding Student Of The Year Medal presented by the Leola American Legion. LeRoy attended South Dakota State University at Brookings. He later transferred to Northern State College in Aberdeen pursuing a criminal law degree. While attending Northern State College, LeRoy started working for the Aberdeen Police Department, where he was employed for 22 years. LeRoy married Ann Rita Scherado Nov. 22, 1969, at Aberdeen. While working for the Aberdeen Police Department, LeRoy attended the National FBI Academy at Quantico, Va., in 1974. That same year he received the Outstanding Police Officer Award. LeRoy was promoted to the detective division and later was assistant chief of police at the time of his retirement from the department. LeRoy continued working and started driving trucks for Lien Transportation Company and was still employed with the company at the time of his death. LeRoy was an avid reader, he enjoyed being outdoors, hunting, fishing working in his garden, camping and especially spending time with his granddaughters. Surviving LeRoy are his wife Rita of Aberdeen; one daughter, Tanya (Jim) Mitchener of Aberdeen; one son, Brian (Ann) Mack of Sioux Falls, S.D.; two granddaughters, Lauren Mitchener and Megan Mitchener; two sisters, Dorothy (Otto) Kolb of Leola, S.D., and Virginia Voje of Moorhead, Minn.; two brothers, Derald Mack of Leola and Gordon “Mick” (Betty) Mack of Leola; and several nieces and nephews. LeRoy was preceded in death by his parents and three infant siblings. Honorary pallbearers will be his co-workers from Lien Transportation Company and all of his many friends.
Published in the Aberdeen News on 12/21/2005.