Dr. Robert S. Leith, 92, longtime resident of Denton and most recently of Abilene, died Sunday, October 19, after a brief illness. He was born on March 5, 1922, to Donald G. and Edith Louise Leith in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
He served his country in the Navy during World War II as a Pharmacist Mate First Class. Assigned to the Naval Hospital at Corona, California, he met and married Jean Okeson, a WAVE who held the rank of Pharmacist Mate.
Following his discharge, Bob graduated from Lincoln Chiropractic College, Indianapolis, Indiana in 1951, and moved to Graham, Texas. His practice remained there until his family moved to Denton.
Dr. Leith, Bob or "Doc" as he was known to many people, opened his chiropractic office on North Elm in 1962 and continued seeing patients until he closed his office in 2011. The location with its large, lighted clock was a familiar symbol to Dentonites. KEEP SMILING became Dr. Leith's motto and was the wording on his yearly calendar/business card.
Dr. Leith was active in Boy Scouts for more than 65 years, many of them as Scoutmaster of Troop 195. He received numerous awards for service including the Silver Beaver and the 50-year service award.
He was a member of the Denton Sunrise Rotary Club and was proud of his 20+ years of perfect attendance. He and Jean were both Paul Harris Fellows.
Dr. Leith and his family were members of the First Presbyterian Church. He served as Deacon and Elder and will be remembered for his smile and handshake as a greeter and making the Sunday morning coffee each week.
He was a people person, and never met a stranger. Dr. Bob was a familiar figure around town, and a regular for afternoon coffee at McDonalds.
Dr. Leith's favorite pastimes involved carving walking sticks, collecting antique guns, coins, and watches, and driving around town in his Model A and Model T Fords.
Dr. Leith was preceded in death by his wife, Jean, of 65 years; his parents, sister Jean, brothers David and Thomas. Surviving are his seven children: Bob, Jr., (Nancy), Paso Robles, CA; Fred (Renee), Memphis, TN; Sara Burrell (John), Dawsonville, GA; Dan (Jeannie), San Jose, CA; Tom (Deb Brunt), Albuquerque, NM; Karen Rich (Jack), Abilene, TX; and David, Dallas, TX; and brother Donald, Brighton, MI.
He also leaves behind 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren to cherish his memory.
It was Dr. Leith's longtime wish that his body be donated to a medical school. A memorial service is planned for March 2015 in Denton.
Donations in his memory may be made to First Presbyterian Church in Denton.
