Leonard Arthur Sines

Leonard was born to Dutch and Betty Sines in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on July 28, 1942. Raised as a farm kid, he loved working with and training animals including many dogs, horses, bulls, birds, and more. Working on farms also instilled in him a second-to-none work ethic and taught him to be industrious - using whatever resources he had on-hand to fix, build, and repair just about anything.

In 1960, at the age of 17, Len enlisted in the US Army where he served until retirement in 1980. During this time, he travelled and lived all over the US, including Alaska, Europe and four consecutive yearly assignments in Vietnam. Len’s military service was recognized with many military awards and medals including 2 Bronze Stars.

Assigned to the Signal Corps, during his tours in Vietnam Len earned a direct commission from Sergeant to 2nd Lieutenant in 1970 which was his proudest career accomplishment. As a new officer he requested to be placed in command of the worst performing company, which was granted. He knew this would be a tough assignment, and it was, as many of the men under his command were rebellious. Len was tough but fair though, and because of this they eventually learned to love and respect him. Within 6 months of taking command, his company was ranked as best in the battalion.

While in Vietnam, his love of animals never waned which led him to tame and train a wild monkey as his pet. He named the monkey Charlie and had a set of army fatigues tailored for him. Charlie became a favorite character for the whole company as he liked to hang out with the men to have a good time drinking beer and smoking cigarettes!

While assigned to Ft. Monmouth, NJ, Len met his soulmate, Suzanne Bracken, and a short time later they married in June 1971. Along with Sue came Mike and Tim, Sue’s sons from a previous marriage who Len raised as his own and instilled the work ethic and industriousness that he had. As for being a stepfather, Brad Paisley’s song “He Didn’t Have to Be” sums up the love and commitment that Len had with these boys.

After retirement from the army, Len worked for several years as a realtor, homebuilder, and volunteer fire department Captain. Eventually he went back to school and became an RN, an occupation he worked for over 23 years. Most of his time as a nurse was spent in home health care in which he visited multiple patients each day. He cherished spending time with them and hearing their life stories especially from the many military veteran patients that he took care of over the years.

Len was very patriotic and civic minded which led him to be heavily involved in several VFW and American Legion Post’s over the years including AL Post 62 in Peoria. There he served as Chaplain, President of the Legion Riders, and Post Treasurer. He relished the time he spent with his fellow veterans and patriots.

The most important factor in Len’s life was his relationships with family and friends and all those who knew him well will miss him dearly. Len is survived by his wife Suzanne; son Jack, stepsons Mike (Marla) & Tim; five grandchildren - Erin, Kristen, Lindsay, Taylor, and Ryan; three great-grandchildren – Wyatt, Adeline, and Jameson; and his brother Bob (Nancy).

Len will be remembered as a loving and caring man who enjoyed life. In his memory and in lieu of flowers, he would have loved to see donations sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital to take care of the kids.

A visitation for Leonard will be held Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Surprise Funeral Care, 16063 W. Bell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85374.

A funeral service will occur Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Surprise Funeral Care, 16063 W. Bell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85374.

A graveside service will occur Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at National Memorial Cemetery of AZ, 23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024.

Immediately following the graveside service, there will be a celebration of life, with food, at American Legion Post #62, 9847 W. Desert Cove Ave, Peoria, AZ 85345.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.surprisefuneralcare.com for the Sines family.