Leland Allen DePriest

Leland Allen DePriest, 79, passed away on January 4, 2023 in Lansing, Michigan. He was born on June 4, 1943 in Pasadena, California, the son of Leland and Jeanette DePriest. Leland attended Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona where he graduated salutatorian. He attended the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1965. He obtained a master’s degree in bio systems from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.

He had a diverse career in engineering which started with Hughes Aircraft/Raytheon in El Segundo, California. His career path next took him to Boeing Aircraft in Seattle, Washington and subsequently to Garrett/Honeywell in Phoenix, Arizona.

He was retired and lived in East Lansing, Michigan. Leland had a curious mind and loved science from an early age. He strived to promote a passion for science in his niece and nephews. It was not unusual to visit Leland and find him involved in a scientific project or experiment in his leisure time. His own passions included, but certainly were not limited to, astronomy, biology, genealogy, and Pilates. He was a voracious reader throughout his lifetime and enjoyed books on a wide array of subjects. He enjoyed spending time during the summer at the family cottage in the Dayton Club of Bear Lake, Michigan. During the years of his retirement, he and his wife Jane were able to travel a lot and participated in many trips with the Road Scholar educational travel program. Leland also enjoyed animals and had a bevy of canine and feline companions which enriched his life over the years. He is survived by his sister Marcia (Doug) Keilen of Fort Collins, Colorado, his nephews Thom (Carol) Selby of Mesa, Arizona and Eric (Rachel) Keilen of Fenton, Michigan, and his niece Jennifer (Joshua) Brady of Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was predeceased by his wife Jane in 2017 and his sister Barbara in 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Leland’s memory to the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University

(https://www.abramsplanetarium.org) or to the Capital Area Humane Society

(https://www.cahs-lansing.org).