Obituary

Joe Shelby Leach, 86, of Plainview passed away on Saturday, January 23, 2021. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at the First United Methodist Church Sanctuary with Rev. Mike Schafer officiating. Burial will follow at Parklawn Memorial Gardens under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview.

Joe Shelby Leach was born on February 28, 1934 in Plainview, Texas to J. S. and Osa Leach. He graduated from Plainview High School in 1953 and then attended Texas Tech University where he received a BS in Agronomy in 1957. He married Wanda Cross on December 19, 1953. They returned to Plainview after college and lived on and farmed the land the Leach family had homesteaded in 1887. He loved farming and could still be seen on his old John Deere until the last year of his life.

He served on many Co-op boards over the years such as United Farm Industries and American Cotton Growers. He was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church where he sang in the choir, served in many leadership roles, and took great pleasure in helping maintain the building and facilities.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Paul Leach and his wife Ralene, his niece Ramona Leach, and granddaughter Tiffany Erin Leach.

Joe is survived by his wife Wanda; son Mark and wife Kathy; daughter Marla Maresca; grandson Chris Leach and wife Rae, granddaughter Stephanie Cummings and husband Cagan, granddaughter Shelby Pedigo and husband Westin, granddaughter Abigail Maresca and special friend Christian, and great grandson Sterling O’Brian Cummings.