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Leonard Maxwell Cheek, 86, passed away Monday morning, September 21, 2020, at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill.

A funeral service will be held at 10 AM on Friday, September 25, at Fair Funeral Home Chapel.  Burial will follow in McDowell Memorial Park in Marion, NC.  Mr. Cheek will lie in repose on Thursday afternoon, until 6 PM.  The service will be live streamed on Facebook Live for those that may not be able to attend.

Born January 14, 1934 in McDowell County, NC, he was the son of the late Lee H. Cheek, Sr. and Flossie McKinney Cheek.  Leonard was always known to family and friend, in Marion, as “Max”.  He grew up helping his father maintain a small family farm on which all of the family worked together.  At the age of 17, with his family’s blessing, he enlisted in the US Army.  He was assigned to the 45th Division Thunderbirds at Camp Polk, LA.  Leonard was then assigned to temporarily to GHQ Honor Guard unit in Tokyo where he was a member of a company over which his older brother was his “boss-man” sergeant.  Leonard always told his family that he could never get away from his big brother “bossing him around”.  That guard unit had the responsibility for maintaining security for Far East Command which included General MacArthur and his family.  After six months in Tokyo he was transferred to the First Cavalry as engineer.  He served in combat in Korea for a year and then moved with his unit to Chitose, Japan which was his last station prior to discharge from service.  Following discharge from the Army, Leonard returned to Marion where he met his future wife, Bobbie Jean Staton.  Looking towards the future he enrolled in night classes and got married.  In 1955 – 56 he applied to and was accepted to NC Highway Patrol School in Chapel Hill.  Upon graduation he was assigned to Stoneville, NC where he served his entire 30 year career as a NC State Trooper.  After retirement from the patrol he continued living in Stoneville with his wife until her passing in 2007.  Leonard was a good neighbor and a good friend to many, many of the local townsfolk. He was a dedicated Christian and member of Beaver Island Baptist Church and, on occasion, attended First Baptist Church of Mayodan.  Leonard was also a member of the Dan River Masonic Lodge in Madison.

He is survived by his brother, Ray Cheek (Reba) of Marion, NC; several nieces and nephews; special friends, Kay Reid and Mickey Mabe, both of Stoneville.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie Jean Staton Cheek; brother, Lee A. Cheek, Jr.; and sister, Jean Hollifield.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Beaver Island Baptist Church, 311 Ayersville Rd., Mayodan, NC 27027 or to

First Baptist Church, 101 N. 1st Ave., Mayodan, NC 27027.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.fairfuneralhome.com