Leonard John Sand, 74, of Crete, passed away April 24, 2022, in Lincoln. Leonard was born in Crete on March 21, 1948, to Raymond and Irma (Vlasin) Sand. He was the third of six children, including brothers, Donald and Richard, and sisters, Mary, Cecilia and Shirley.
After graduating from Wilber High School, Leonard earned his bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1971. He married Kathy Aksamit on Aug. 31, 1968, his wife of 53 years.
Leonard served in the Nebraska Army National Guard for 20 years. He began working for the Nebraska Department of Roads while he was in college, and worked for 45 years in Project Development focusing on Environmental Compliance. Over the course of five decades, Leonard served his community on the Board of Aging Partners, the Crete Board of Parks and Recreation and was active in and served on the board of the Crete Heritage Society. He was an avid gardener and regular blood donor.
Preceding Leonard in death are Raymond (father); Irma (mother); Don (brother); Charles (brother-in-law); and Dan (brother-in-law). He is survived by his wife, Kathryn; his four children, Jason (Christine) Sand of Evans, Georgia, Gregory (Susan Polk) Sand of Omaha, Jeffrey (Brenda) Sand of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Steven (Catherine) Sand of Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Leonard was Grandpa to 14, Nathan, Andrew, Patrick, Nicholas, Chloe, Molly, Benjamin, Samuel, Jacob, Savannah, Carter, Aiden, Lea and Connor.
A Funeral Mass was April 29 at Sacred Heart Church in Crete with burial at Sacred Heart Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the family for future designation. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.kunclfh.com.
