Leo Lloyd Greenwell - Dad, Pop, LaLa, Granddad, Grand-da-da.   Celebrating 93 years -  1929 to 2022.  "Thank you very much."  (Elvis - one of the 3 quotes I've been known to say quite often in my several years.)

Thanks to my Mom, (Mary Ola Greenwell, 1905 - 1979), and my Dad, (Raymond James Greenwell, 1895 -  1968), and that train that passed by at 4am every morning, (too early to get up and too late to go back to sleep).  I was born Thursday,  January 3, 1929 -  Baby #6.  Mom was 24 and Dad, 34.  I joined two brothers and three sisters:  JW, Ray Leon, Sarah, Frances and Faye.  Nineteen years later after that train stopped, there were seventeen of us.  Additions included:  Dotty, Jack, Bobbie, Joe Donnie, Tony, Stafford, Tommy, Billy Ray, Phyllis, Judy and Larry Dale.  I've lived the longest so far.  When my Mom died, there were 60 grandchildren and 55 great grandchildren.  We could have been a town all by ourselves – the " Greenwell Town ."  Surviving baby sisters, Phyllis White (Rodney), and Judy Summitt (Ralph), will carry on our family adventures.

At age 12, horses became a passion and I hitch-hiked to Church (Churchill Downs) from my home in Bardstown, KY.  I snuck into Church and total strangers were kind enough to place bets for me.  I've been going to Church ever since – including the famous 1948 Kentucky Derby.  Citation threw mud all over me as he raced along the rail to win the KY Derby.  He became the 8 ^th winner of the American Triple Crown.  I wanted to never wash off that famed mud.

In my days growing up, there was a lot of sharing with siblings, five and sometimes six of us slept in the same bed.  First jobs included stacking groceries before school and running the movie film reel in the evenings.  In 1946, I enlisted in the Army and left Kentucky to travel on a ship to Japan during WWII.   I received an honorary discharge and was awarded two medals.  I shared my earnings from all my jobs with my Mom and Dad, and managed to save enough money to buy my first car in 1948 when I returned from the service.   She was a 1941 Chevy.

Shortly after being discharged from the Army, I met my one and only bride, May Yates, at a dance hall.  She had her hope chest full and was engaged to another fellow.  I'll never tell what I did to woo her away from him. We wed in 1950 and had six children:  Pam Heuglin (David), John Wayne, Mary Jane Dubner (Peter), Marlene Cole (Joey),  Freddie (Agnes), and Elaine Guenthner (Tony).  Cancer took May in 1991 at the age of 62.  I've been blessed with 12 grandchildren:  Tami, Jason, Jerehmy, Josh, Hannah, Airin, David(deceased), Troy, Fred, Travis, Mandy and Dustin.   Also, 14 great-grandchildren:  Brynlee, Jarrett, Katharyn Ann, Kristyn, Finn Jax, Nea, Azi, Gabbrielle, Chance, Christian, Macy, Jaiden, Georgia May, and Trent.

My 65 career years consisted of being a hod carrier and bricklayer, and proofing a number of building plan blueprints.   Corky, my boss and great friend, watched as I laid my last brick at 85.  He claimed I was one of the world's greatest brick masons and the sharpest blueprint reader ever, he called me Superman.  Churches, grocery stores, hospitals, hotels, museums (including Churchill Downs), restaurants, schools, and many homes bear my craftsmanship and can be seen throughout Louisville.

A dream came true for me beginning in 1993, I bought and owned race horses.  On March 20, 1993, I stood in the winner's circle for the first time alongside Brooklyn Thunder.   I stood in a lot more winner's circles after that:  Artic Harry,  Chubby Hubby,  Colonel True, Crazy Again, Figure the Facts, Greg at Bat, Irish and Bold, PawPaw Hank , Play All Night, Prospect South, Reserve Flight, and Stormy Cold.  In my later years, I visited Church regularly, just about every day.  Friends and employees became my special family:  Curt, Elaine, Henry, Jimmy, Lisa, Pat, Scooter, Skip, Tommy, and Vicki…just to name a few.

In my spare time during these 93 years, I built many barbeque pits, repaired and built chimneys,  hunted, played poker and the slots, squared danced, solved crossword puzzles, imitated and dressed as Elvis, became a Kentucky Colonel, was adopted as a mascot for the Dawson Hill Band, observed and fed lots of birds and squirrels, read the Courier Journal every morning (I think I might have been their longest subscriber - since 1964), was known as the "Belt Man" (had several leather belts made with their name for special folks,) and also known as the "Candy Man" (always coming to restaurants and events with a box of Russell Stover's Chocolates.)

At 92, I learned I had pulmonary fibrosis.   Guess those many years of brick and mortar dust finally got me.  In my first stay in the hospital the nurse asked, "Would you like to be resuscitated Mr. Greenwell?"   I replied, "If it's not too much trouble, yes, please."  I heard my children got a big kick out of that answer.

When I was hospitalized in December of 2021, the docs said I couldn't return to my home. As much as I've been stubborn to maintain my independence, I had to finally realize that I couldn't take care of myself any longer.   My son, Freddie, and his wife, Agnes, took me into their home.  They gave me my own room, a hospital bed, daily meals, my meds and let me be as independent as I could.  I slept a lot and when I had some energy we often played "31."  Thank you Freddie and Agnes, I know it was a lot.  I will miss Agnes making my meals of scrambled eggs and gravy, beef, chicken or vegetable broth, mashed potatoes and gravy - and a big glass of whole milk at every meal.   She came to my bedroom often and asked, "How you doing Pop?"  In my final days as family and friends visited, I heard them say how I was a handsome, loving, caring and wonderful man with a sense of humor, too.  "Love that man."  "He's a cutie." "He's a true gentleman."

As the pulmonary fibrosis progressed, Hosparus stepped in to help with their caring and provided information to the family on how best to keep me comfortable.  I understood with this disease the lungs turn to brick.  I guess you might say I really laid my last brick at 93.

I would like to thank all my children, family, friends, and Hosparus who visited and gave me so much care and love.  I was blessed.

Many folks asked my advice on how I lived so long.  I answered in three words:  "Deal with it." (Quote #2) That's all we have - in every moment - everyday.

I am celebrating 93 years!  "Write me." (Quote #3.)

His funeral is 11am Saturday, June 11, 2022 at Fern Creek Funeral Home, 5406 Bardstown Road with burial in Resthaven Memorial Park.  Visitation is 2-8pm Friday.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to Hosparus.