Our dad, Frank S. Leahy, 85, of Old Orchard Beach, passed away on May 25, 2022 at the Maine Veteran's Home in Scarborough. Steve, as he was more commonly known, was born in Biddeford on October 24, 1936, the son of Eugene F and Irene F (Tanguay).

Dad will be greatly missed by his daughters and their husbands, Susanne and Mark Delisle of Scarborough and Sandra (Sam) and Jeffrey Ventura of Westwood, Massachusetts as well as his sister, Anita Greenblatt of Old Orchard Beach. He was particularly proud of his six grandsons, Craig Delisle, Scott Delisle, Caleb Delisle, Seth Delisle, Daniel Ventura and Andrew Ventura. We were all so happy that dad could attend Craig's marriage to Julie Passarelli in October.

He also leaves behind his partner Anna Warren of Scarborough.

Dad and his sister Anita were brought up in a bilingual English/French home during the depression and World War II with very limited means. Dad slept on the third floor of their apartment without heat. He attended Biddeford Schools and followed Biddeford football all of his life.

For his 17 ^th birthday, Dad asked his mom for her signature so he could join the Marines. He served during the Korean War from 1953-1956 and regularly would hitchhike home from Camp Lejeune. He later joined the Coast Guard and served during the Vietnam War from 1961-1965. He was a member of the American Legion Post 57 in Old Orchard Beach. Dad married our mom, Mary Leighton in 1962. They later divorced but remained friends.

After the service, Dad went to barber school. He owned a shop in the parking lot of the Clambake in Scarborough. He joined the postal service in 1979 but continued to cut hair for a select few including his oldest grandchildren until they left for college. Dad loved dogs and his dog King walked with him on his postal route for many years. Dad retired from the US Postal service in 1998 after 20 years of service. He developed close friendships there that lasted the remainder of his life, especially with Sam Speirs and Don Smith. They were true devoted friends.

After retirement, Dad could be found each morning at the Old Orchard Beach IGA "solving the world's problems". He leased a parking lot in Old Orchard Beach for the summers which provided him some extra cash and much time to practice his French. Tourists went back year after year to visit Dad and his friends who helped him manage the lot, Bob and Willy. Some even wrote letters to him in the off-season. No matter how hot it was, he never wore shorts. In the winters, he plowed snow for friends and family with his signature winter hat sitting on top of his head.

Dad had many hobbies. He enjoyed harness racing and could often be found at Scarborough Downs or the fairs where he owned and trained horses. There were some mishaps, however. One horse was spooked and ran to Shaw's in Scarborough. Another spooked and dumped him off causing a collarbone fracture. For years, he never missed his Monday night poker games. Dad loved watching movies-particularly Westerns, World War II and those with slapstick humor like Abbott and Costello. He had acquired a substantial VCR/DVD collection. He liked to fish, especially with his daughter Sam. He traveled to Spain, Austria, and the Dominican Republic as well as to England and Ireland when Sam was studying there.

Dad was a fan of all New England Sports, particularly the Patriots and Red Sox. He took Sue and Sam to their first Red Sox Game in 1975 and they have been loyal Red Sox fans since. He was at the Patriots Snow Bowl game in 2001 with his daughter Sam. Dad was fortunate to attend many of his grandchildren's school and church events, games, meets, concerts, etc.

After retirement, Dad reconnected with an old friend, Anna Warren. Dad and Anna had many common interests and enjoyed lawn sales, auctions, and casinos together. They also took trips to Ireland, Florida and Las Vegas. They attended the retirement of Big Papi's number and were on NESN.

Dad was proud to be a Mainer. He never owned a new car. He never owned a cell phone. He was extremely easy-going, and we both can say we are proud that there was never a cross word or raised voice between us.

The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Farino and his staff at MMP Scarborough for their care prior to 2020 and to the Maine Veteran's Home in Scarborough, particularly the staff of Unit C for their care since 2020. We missed exactly one year of being with our father due to the COVID pandemic. The staff at the Veteran's Home has worked incredibly hard in trying circumstances and we are eternally grateful. Dad had one very special caregiver, Carol. Your attention to the small details that make one's life better are second to none. To Dad's fellow veterans on the C unit, it was so nice to meet you all and we hope that you are enjoying Heartland.

A graveside service will be held on July 8 ^th at 11AM at Brooklawn Cemetery in Portland.  Arrangements are by Hobbs Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Biddeford High School for the Frank S. Leahy Memorial Scholarship providing for a graduate going into the armed services to help with the cost of non-covered requirements, such as uniforms or to the Maine Veteran's Home in Scarborough for the Residents Fund which assists those veterans who do not have enough funds for necessities.

Frank S. Leahy Memorial Scholarship

Biddeford High School

Attn: Development Office

18 Maplewood Ave.

Biddeford ME 04005

Memorial Fund

(Please select Frank S. Leahy Memorial Scholarship for the Donation to a Memorial Fund field)

Or

Residents Fund

Maine Veteran's Home

290 US Route One

Scarborough, Maine 04074