Leonard Hadley Mays

Leonard Hadley Mays April 13, 1934 – November 5, 2017 Leonard went to heaven on Sunday morning, November 5, at Prattville Baptist Hospital surrounded by his children. He was born on 13 April 1934 in Bel, Louisiana. Leonard was the seventh of nine children born to Mary Florence and Jesse Martin Mays. Leonard joined the Air Force after graduating from Lake Charles High School in 1953. He met Solange Ferron while stationed at Chateauroux Air Station in Chateauroux, France from 1954 – 1957. They married and returned to the United States in 1957, moving to Altus Air Force Base in Altus, Oklahoma where daughters, Denise (February 1958) and Chantal (September 1959) were born. In April 1960, Leonard was stationed to Nouasseur Air Base in Casablanca Morocco where son, Paul (November 1960) was born. In the fall of 1963, Leonard was stationed to Columbus Air Force Base in Columbus, Mississippi where he worked in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) until February 1968. He was stationed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in the Republic of Viet Nam from February 1968 – February 1969. Upon his return to the United States, Leonard was stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base where he worked with OSI. The family bought a home in Prattville, Alabama in 1969. Leonard retired from the Air Force in 1974 and went to work for the Department of Public Health (1975 – 1976) and the Alabama Securities Commission (1976 – 1991) in Montgomery, Alabama. Upon his retirement from the State of Alabama, Leonard and Solange purchased an RV and traveled across the United States and Canada visiting children and grandchildren. Solange passed away in September 1999 from breast cancer. Leonard continued to travel. In 2005, he met Nancy Birdwell and they married in April 2006. Nancy traveled with Leonard in the RV until summer of 2013 when they sold the RV, but continued to travel by car. In January 2017, Leonard and Nancy sold the family home in Prattville and moved to The Harbor at Hickory Hill Assisted Living Facility in Prattville. Leonard became ill in August 2017 and was hospitalized. His health continued to decline until his death on November 5. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Birdwell Mays; Children, Denise Mays; Chantal McManus; Paul Mays (Janet); Jeff Ray, whom Leonard thought of as a son; Grandsons, Nathan Paul McManus (Rachel); Blake Hadley Mays; Jesse Ryan Mays; Granddaughters, Hannah Denise McManus; Hailey Chantal McManus; Brother, Rowland Charles Mays (Diana); numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. Leonard’s life will be celebrated on Monday, November 20 at 11:30 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 511 North Memorial Dr., Prattville, AL 36067. A private graveside service will be held at Prattville Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Dominican Monastery of St. Jude, 143 County Road 20 East, Marbury, AL 36051, or online at www.stjudemonastery.org/ways-to-help.

Leonard Hadley Mays

April 13, 1934 - November 5, 2017