Philip "Phil" Leahy

 Philip W. (Phil) Leahy, 90, of Circleville, passed away on March 2, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska. Phil was born August 29, 1934 in Clinton, Iowa, the third son of Arthur and Mildred Leahy. He graduated from Clinton High School and earned both athletic and academic scholarships to the University of Iowa, where he played football and ran track for four years before graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Phil married the love of his life, Jacqueline (Jackie) Brown, on February 2, 1957. The couple moved to Fort Benning, Georgia where he attended the U.S. Army Troop Command School. Following his military service, they returned to Clinton where Phil began employment with DuPont. He started as a Development Engineer and went on to work in various other engineering and supervisory roles with the company over a 35-year career. His job brought the family to Circleville in 1968, where he remained with the local plant until his retirement in 1993. In retirement, Phil worked as a Pickaway Township Zoning Inspector until 2004, and volunteered in a wide array of capacities, including Circle of Caring and 15 years of dedicated service as an attendant at Berger Hospital. Phil loved watching his children and grandchildren participate in various activities while they were in school, and was a wonderfully supportive father and grandfather. He enjoyed playing golf and tennis, fishing, traveling with Jackie, and wintering in Englewood, Florida. He loved his Hawkeyes, but found room in his heart for the Buckeyes as well. He and Jackie were longtime enthusiasts of square dancing and round dancing and enjoyed many years of membership in the local Roundtown Square Dance Club. Phil was a member of the John S. Hannah Knights of Columbus and an active parishioner and EME at Saint Joseph Catholic Church. To all who knew and loved him, Phil’s most remarkable and admirable traits were his deep devotion and loyalty to his family and friends, along with his humility, faithfulness, humor, patience, resilience, and commitment to service to others. His steadfast love and fierce dedication to Jackie in her final years were almost legendary among those who knew them best, as he cared for her at home then visited her every single day of her long period of nursing home care. In short, Phil’s life provides his children and grandchildren with a truly exemplary model to emulate, and is a rich legacy we will forever cherish. Phil leaves his daughter Lisa (Mark) Scherer of Omaha, Nebraska; his son, Paul (Lisa) Leahy of Carmel, Indiana; his daughter-in-law, Virginia Leahy of Madison, Alabama; his grandsons, Eric (Jillian) Scherer and Philip (Jessica) Scherer of Omaha; Keith (Sean) Leahy of Cullman, Alabama; Stephen (Makenzie) Leahy of Omaha; Nicholas Leahy of Columbus, Ohio; his granddaughter, Devon Leahy of Indianapolis, Indiana; and his great- grandchildren, Penelope, Jack, and Cooper Scherer, all of Omaha. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Jackie; his parents; his son, Joseph Gerard Leahy; his grandson, Benjamin Leahy Scherer; and his brothers, Arthur and Thomas Leahy. The family is deeply grateful to the many family members and friends whose generosity and assistance were so vital to Phil and to us during his final years. We are especially appreciative of nurse Jeannette Branham and the rest of the staff at Heartland Hospice in Circleville, and nurse Stormy Cole and the rest of the staff at Gentiva Hospice in Omaha for the love and dedicated care they provided to Phil. Visitation will be at Wellman Funeral Home in Circleville, on March 14 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Circleville on March 15 at 11:00 AM. Burial to follow at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery Circleville. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages and appreciates donations to Alzheimer’s Disease Research or St. Joseph Catholic Church in Circleville, Ohio. Online condolences can be made to www.wellmanfuneralhomes.com.