Funeral services for John &8220;Jack&8221; W. Leach, 69, of Albert Lea, will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Crossroads Evangelical Free Church. The Rev. Glen Stevens will officiate. Interment will be in the Lakewood Cemetery. Visitation is one hour prior to the services at the church. Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.

John passed away on Oct. 18, 2006, at Albert Lea Good Samaritan Center, after a long battle with cancer.

John Wesley Leach was born Aug. 1, 1937, in Aurora, Ill., to James C. and Della (Pigney) Leach. The family moved to Blue Earth when Jack was 10 years old. He graduated from Blue Earth High School in 1956.

Jack joined the United States Navy in 1956 and served until 1960. He was an air traffic controller on the aircraft carrier, &8220;Essex.&8221; After returning home, Jack attended college in Mankato, graduating from Mankato State. He worked at Otto Publishing and later moved to Albert Lea, where he was employed at Wilson & Company until he started his own business, Leach Sod & Nursery. Jack was involved in the YMCA baseball program and was a Boy Scout leader and a youth hockey coach for many years. He also enjoyed all the kids that worked for him in the summer for the last 30 years.

Survivors include his wife of 26 years, Joyce; his children: Todd (Nancy) Leach and their daughters, Abby and Amy of Albert Lea; Scott Leach and his son, Nick of St. Paul; Dan Leach and his daughters, Mariah and Brittney of Albert Lea; Pam (Rick) Miller and their children of Ohio; Joyce&8217;s children: Eric Meyer of Albert Lea, Natalie (Greg) Hubble and their children, Whitney and Courtney of Littleton, Colo.; Greg (Barb) Stribley and their children of Sioux City, Neb.; and Michael Stribley of Albert Lea; sisters: Ruth Schape of Bricelyn, Lynda (Marv) Heidecks of Lakota, Iowa, and Catherine (Mike) Koons of Fairmont; brothers, James (Sharyl) Leach of Alamogordo, N.M., and Gary (Gina) Leach of Delevan; and many nieces and nephews.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents; Evelyn, the mother of his four children; and two brothers-in-law.