Leon Frances "Junnie" Cleaver

Leon Francis “Junnie” Cleaver, 95, of Muncie, Indiana passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, February 3, 2024.

Junnie was born on June 19, 1928, in Alexandria, Indiana to the late Leon and Catherine (Williamson) Cleaver. He served his country as a machine gunner for the United States Army in the Korean War with the First Platoon CO 17 Infantry Regiment. When he returned home, he married his sweetheart, Barbara Wood in 1956. They raised two sons and a daughter together. Junnie was always hard at work. He purchased the East Jackson Street A&W Root Beer stand in the 1950’s and worked as a toolmaker at Borg Warner until his retirement in 1996. Junnie enjoyed his family, tinkering with mechanics and math and anything else Barbara told him to enjoy (in other words, he adored his wife).

Junnie is survived by his wife of 68 years, Barbara Wood Cleaver, a daughter, Lana Cleaver Smith, five grandchildren, Amy Cleaver Savage (Jesse), Nathan Smith (Jessica), Natalie Smith Daugherty, Caleb Smith (Kinzie) and Jessica Cleaver Brummett (Justin), eleven great-grandchildren, Alexander, Atticus, Ashford and Arthur Savage, Mason, Cali and Bishop Smith, Casey Daugherty, Kentley Musick and Hayden and Kora Brummett, two sisters-in-law, Linda Cleaver and Dianna Naselroad (Kenneth).

Junnie will be met in heaven by a long list of friends and family including his beloved parents, his two sisters, Mary Catherine Bradford, Rosie Flook, a brother, Richard Cleaver, his two sons, Max Brent and Gregory Cleaver and a grandson, Jacob Cleaver.

A Catholic Mass will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 2300 W. Jackson St., in Muncie. Burial

 of Junnie’s ashes will be in Gardens of Memory Cemetery.

Friends and family may gather to share and remember from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Gant Funeral Homes – Yorktown Chapel, 2215 S. Broadway St., in Yorktown.

Share a memory of Junnie and leave your condolences at www.gantfuenralhomes.com

The Gant and Miller families are honored to celebrate Junnie’s life with his family and community.

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