Paul Richard Leader

Paul R. Leader, 89, passed away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on Monday, May 16, 2016. A family celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Paul was born on September 13, 1926 in Plentywood, Montana the son of William and Mary J Leader. The family moved to the Priest River area in 1932 where Paul grew up and attended local schools. As a young man he joined the US Navy, went through boot camp at Farragut, and served in the Pacific Theatre of operations during WW II. Following the war he returned to Priest River and started working in the logging camps of the day. He would become an operating engineer, following heavy construction sites in Coeur d’Alene and the Northwest. Locally he worked on both the Cabinet Gorge Dam and the Albeni Falls Dam prior to his retirement in 1992. He was a member of the Eagles Lodge, Aerie # 589; Bonner County Sportsman’s Association; The American Legion; a Lifetime member of the DAV and the NRA. He enjoyed the backcountry, hiking, hunting and fishing in the area. He married Donna on January 2, 1987 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Paul is survived by his wife Donna Leader, in Sagle; his daughter Yvonne (Jim) Robertson in Englewood, FL; Stepdaughters Sandra Allen in Sagle; Terri (Will) Markley in Spokane Valley, WA; three granddaughters Bobbi (Jerry) Harrison in Clackamas, OR; Paula Rae (Ron) Greenland in Englewood, FL; Nikki Robertson (Jesse) Harris in Englewood, FL; 10 great grandchildren and 10 great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death in, 1979, by his first wife Barbara; his parents, and his brothers and sisters. An entry made by his father in his baby book read, “may your life be like a snowflake and leave a mark and not a stain.”