Tom Leach

Thomas J. “Tom” Leach, 53 died Saturday, February 26, 2011, at his home in Ellendale, ND. Visitation: Wednesday 3-7pm with a prayer service at 7pm. Funeral: 10am Thursday March 3. All services will be held at Block Memorial Chapel (Trinity Bible College) Ellendale. Hoven Funeral Chapel, Ellendale is in charge of arrangements. Rev. Thomas J. Leach, 53, Ellendale, ND, son of Harvey and Rita (Kinney) Leach, was born January 19, 1958, in LaCrosse, WI. Educated in St. Paul and Forest Lake, MN, he was a Boy Scout, a track and basketball manager at Forest Lake Senior High School, and a cook at the local A&W Root Beer. After high school he studied hotel and restaurant management at the University of Minnesota in Crookston. Tom worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship from 1978 to 1981 when he began his studies at Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND. While there he was the KTBI radio station manager and a Troubadour (a TBC traveling evangelistic group). During the summer of 1983 Tom was involved in a car accident that left him with a cervical spinal cord injury and paralyzed. On December 10, 1983, Tom married Gayle (Wilcox) in Tomah, WI. There Tom taught school for five years before returning to Ellendale in 1990 to continue his education at TBC. Moving to Merrill, WI, in 1992, Tom served as an Associate Pastor for three years. In 1995 they moved to Waupaca, WI, and began working with Special Touch Ministry, Inc. While continuing his work with Special Touch, Tom returned to Ellendale in 2006. He earned his B.A. degree in Ministerial Studies and graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2007. Tom stayed involved at TBC and began teaching a class fall semester 2010. On February 26, 2011, Tom died at his home. Tom authored and published two books and was currently working on a third. He also created WordWalk (a Bible study curriculum for persons with disabilities). He was a member of New Life Assembly of God church in Ellendale and held ministerial credentials with the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Tom was an avid reader. Other hobbies include collecting die cast, listening to southern gospel music, and watching classic movies/tv shows. Tom is survived by his wife: Gayle Leach, Ellendale, ND; son: Benjamin Leach, Menasha, WI; mother: Rita Leach, Ellendale, ND; sister: Nancy Peretz, Mooreton, ND; sister-in-law: Jennifer Audiss, Colome, SD; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Harvey, and sister, Helen.