Obituary of Leroy William Pankratz

Leroy W. Pankratz, 76, of Parker, CO, went to Heaven on May 21, 2018. Long-time employee of USGS. Loving Husband of Susan. Father and Grandfather to many. Memorial 3PM on Friday, May 25, 2018, Trinity Lutheran Church, 4740 N. State Hwy. 83, Franktwon, CO. Leroy (Lee) William Pankratz was born on October 16, 1941, to Leo Anton and Eleanor Edna (Hughes) Pankratz in Saint Peter, Minnesota. Leroy, the youngest of three boys, Gerald Edwin (Ruth) and Joseph Leo (Donna), attended John Ireland Elementary and Middle School and St. Peter High School where Leroy graduated in 1959. He attended St. Thomas College in Saint Paul, MN, and graduated from Mankato State College (now University of Minnesota, Mankato) in 1963 with majors in Mathematics and Physics. He joined the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in Washington, D.C., in October 1959 where he served for 41 years including successor agencies. Mr. Pankratz, in his capacity as a Geophysicist, served in many locations both within the continental U.S. and its territories including: Fredericksburg, VA; Byrd Station, Antarctica; Adak, Aleutian Islands, AK; Tucson, AZ; St. Louis, MO; Saratoga CA; and Golden CO. He advanced to the position of Observatory Operations Task Leader in the Geomagnetism Program, U.S. Geological Survey. In this capacity he was responsible for the budget and operational aspects of the 14 Geomagnetic Observatories spread out between Guam, Mariana Islands, Barrow, AK, and Cayey, Puerto Rico. Travels in an official capacity as an expert in the geomagnetic instrumentation and observatory operations took him to Canada, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Scotland, Belgium, France, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and Antarctica including to all of the 14 U.S. Observatories. In 1966 Leroy married Judith Eve Harms and they had 4 children: Mark (Heather Faris), Christopher (Gretchen Smith), Anthony (Chris Anne Swedensky) and Cynthia. They divorced in 1992 and Leroy married Susan Woodman Waltzman (nee Snell) in 1997. He is survived by his children Mark (Heather), Chris, Tony (Chris Anne), and Cindy; Susan’s children Sarah Waltzman Sexton (Aaron) and Adam Waltzman and eleven grandchildren: Alicia, Ethan, Mercedes, Tristan, Karl, Kimberley, Jacqueline, and Sebastian Pankratz, Noah Waltzman, and Ronin and Rafe Sexton, all of whom reside in the Denver, CO, area. He is also survived by his brother Joe (Donna), sister-in-law Glee Johnson and many nieces and nephews. Leroy has been active in several Lutheran Churches including Concordia and Bethlehem, Lakewood, CO, and Trinity of Franktown, CO. He always took pride in his bass voice singing in church cantatas and for weddings. He was preceded in death by his parents Leo in 1996 and Eleanor in 1999, and his brother Jerry in 2009. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Lee's memory to: National Jewish Hospital ILD Clinic, Palliative Support, Attn: P.A. Katy Rosen, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80113, www.njhealth.org Trinity Lutheran Church School, 4740 N State Hwy 83, Franktown, CO 80116, 303-841-4660 or Parker Adventist Breast Cancer Support Program, 2525 S. Downing Street, Mason Hall-2nd Floor, Denver, CO 80210 (In Memory of/Parker Hospital Foundation)