Leo H. Profitt

Leo H. Profitt of Kettering , OH died at home on August 26, 2014 at 1:03 p.m. He was 95. Leo was born October 16, 1918 in Winchester, KY to Ethel Shelton and James A. Profitt. He was preceded in death by his son Leo Edward Profitt, daughter Janet Lee Logue, stepson David Profitt, brothers Elbert and Malcolm Profitt and sister Mabel Luibel, his first wife Anna (Barnett) Ross, and second wife Janet (McEvoy) Bryant. Leo is survived by his wife of 38 years, Lynda, a brother Roy (Phyllis) Profitt, daughters Beverly (Mike) Croake, Charlotte (Paul) Yandora, step-daughters JoAnne (Alan) MacFarland, Stephanie Jayne, Tracy (Mark Crews) Jayne, 3 grandchildren: Dean Brandon, Kyle Brandon, Julie (Mike) Karg, 3 step-grandchildren Tracey (Doug) Owens, Corey Profitt, Renee MacFarland, 8 great grandchildren Cayla (Wright) Carrigan, Sheana, Zoe, Ryleigh, Raegan, Sean and Aden Brandon, Alyssa Karg, 1 step great grandson Devin Profitt, 1 great great grandson Brice Carrigan and 1 great great granddaughter Freya Grismer. Mr. Profitt graduated from Alvin Drew High School, Pine Ridge, KY in 1934 and attended the University of KY for 2 years while working at Walnut Hall trotting horse farm, now a part of the KY Horse Park. In the late 1930s he worked in final assembly and pre-flight at Aeronca Aircraft in Middletown where he earned a student pilot license. He worked in the experimental lab at Waco in Troy, OH and after Pearl Harbor he was an inspector of flight control systems and bomb-sight stabilizer installation at Convair, a B-24 bomber plant in San Diego, CA. Leo joined the U.S. Marine Corps in August, 1944 and served in the battle for Iwo Jima where he sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder and earned the Purple Heart. He was discharged from the Marines in September, 1945. Returning to Middletown he managed Noland Camera Store for 7 years. In 1952 he managed Malone Camera Store in Town & Country Shopping Store in Kettering before opening his own camera store, PhotoLeo, in the Eichelberger Shopping Center in Kettering in 1957. In 1964, Leo was invited to be part of President Eisenhower’s People-to-People photographic tour of Eastern Europe and Russia. His slide presentations of the tour were widely received by area churches, civic organizations and camera clubs. In 1965, the PhotoLeo store earned the Oscar of Retailing, The Brand Names Foundation Retailer of the Year Award as the #1 photographic retailer in the U.S. and Canada. Beginning in 1975 to 1985, Leo was a photographic sales rep, calling on camera stores in OH, KY and IN and in retirement he enjoyed maintaining fleets of golf carts for Cassel Hills Golf Club in Vandalia and Meadowbrook Country Club, Dayton for several years. He was fond of saying, “When I run out of work I’m forced to play golf”. Leo also worked part-time for MotoPhoto in Centerville for several years. He had a life long love of photography, golf, and late in life he took up watercolor painting through Sinclair College Classes for Seniors. He had a deep love of family which meant everything to him. Leo was a member of Christ United Methodist Church, Kettering, the Kettering American Legion Post 598, and was a charter member of the Kettering Kiwanis Club. In the 1950s and 60’s he volunteered with the Kettering Chamber of Commerce, Holiday at Home, Tour of Kettering Bicycle Races, and later was photographer for activities at his church. He served on the Kettering Neighborhood Pride Committee as photographer for several years. A memorial service will be held in David’s Cemetery Chapel, Kettering, on Saturday October 18th at 10:30 a.m and his cremains will be scattered in their Memorial Garden at 10:00 a.m. prior to the service. Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH 45420.