Edward Patton Leland, 84, of Lancaster, PA died Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at Quarryville Presbyterian Home after a brief illness.
He was born August 5, 1926 in Charleston, SC, the eldest son of James Morrison and Helen Patton Leland.
He attended Charleston Public Schools, graduating from the High School of Charleston in 1943. From 1943-45 and 47-49, he attended the Citadel, initially as a cadet and later as a veteran student, graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. He earned his athletic letter, the “Block C,” as a member of the Citadel Rifle Team in 1944-45. Edward served in the U.S. Army during 1945-46 in World War II.
Mr. Leland was a civil and construction engineer for the U. S. Department of Interior/ Bureau of Reclamation in Washington from 1950-54 working on the Columbia River Basin Project. In 1954, he began working at Fort Belvoir, VA for the Army Corps of Engineers and later the U.S. Army Material Command. His areas of work included field fortifications, nuclear effects, and camouflage. His last major assignment was to serve as the U.S. Army’s representative on the NATO Working Group in Camouflage Hardware.
Edward was a member of First United Methodist Church in Lancaster. He was a former member of the Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston where he served as a Ruling Elder, Chairman of the Board of Deacons, and for 10 years, as Church Treasurer. He was also the church’s Master Volunteer at the Charleston Homeless Shelter from 1987 to 1995.
His interests included history and genealogy. He was a member of the South Carolina Historical Society, the St. James Santee Parish Historical Society, and the Richard III Society. He was also a lifetime member of the Citadel Alumni Society, as well as a member of the Citadel Development Foundation and the Citadel Brigadier Foundation.
Survivors include his wife, Billie M. Reed, of Lancaster, PA; a brother, James husband of Marian Leland of Pawley’s Island, SC; a niece, Pamela J. Leland partner of Renna Van Oot of Kennett Square, PA; a nephew, James M. III husband of Sheila Leland of Southlake, TX; and two grandnephews, James M. Leland, IV and Owen Edward Leland of Southlake, TX. He was preceded in death by his youngest brother, Owen Patton Leland, who died in 1992.
A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 3:00 P.M. at the Kearney A. Snyder Funeral Home, 141 E. Orange St., Lancaster, PA with the Rev. David M. Myers officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 2:30 P.M. until the time of the service. Interment in the New Wappataw Cemetery, McClellanville, SC. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mr. Leland’s memory may be made to The Citadel Development Foundation, 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, SC 29409.
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