Leonard Ray Foss, Sr., age 79, of Naytahwaush, MN died on Tuesday, July 2, 2014, at the Veterans Medical Center in Fargo, ND.

Len was born June 23, 1935, to Andrew and Dorothy (Hulda) Foss in Bend, Oregon. He attended Greenwood Elementary and Bend Union High School before joining the US Navy at the age of 17. The first ten years of his naval career were spent abroad, on various ships, and at various duty stations throughout the world. In 1962 he met Ruth LaVoy at Great Lakes, IL, where they were both stationed. They married in 1963, had two children, and spent the next ten years as a military family with duty stations in Great Lakes, IL, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Key West, FL. Len also did a tour in Vietnam during this time.

Len retired from the Navy in 1972, and he and his family settled in Naytahwaush, MN. Len attended DL Tech for Carpentry, drove school bus for a number of years, and busied himself with his memberships in the Night Riders Snowmobile Club, Twin Lakes Volunteer Fire Department, American Legion Post 31, and St. Anne's Church. His hobbies included hunting, fishing, golf, bowling and woodworking. Len's favorite time of year was always deer hunting season, where he spent many, many years at deer camp in Ray, MN, with his longtime friends and nephews. Len also developed a love of woodworking, and his family is very fortunate to have many examples of his wonderful work in their homes today. His Linder grandkids called him "Grandpa Butterfly", because of the wooden butterflies he made that hung on the front of his home all these years. Len was an avid football fan, who loved the Vikings and the Mahnomen Indians. He took in as many of his Foss grandchildren's sporting events as he could, whether it was going to watch them or listening on the radio.

Len's service in the US Navy has always been a source of great pride for him and his family. His children and the rest of the family loved to listen to his Navy stories. He would tell them over and over again, as they never got old, and always gave everyone a laugh. He was well known for his "unique" tattoos, and everywhere he went people commented on them and thanked him for his service. Len loved life, his family and his country, and will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.

Len is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Ruth Foss of Naytahwaush; his daughter, Laura (Rodney) Linder of Princeton, MN; his son, Len "Noonie"(Tammy) Foss, Jr. of Mahnomen; sister, Betty Sprague of John Day, OR; mother-in-law, Gerda LaVoy of Naytahwaush; grandchildren; Hannah and Mitchell Foss of Mahnomen and Ethan and Megan Linder of Princeton, MN. He is preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Dorothy. Blessed be the memory of Leonard Foss.

Funeral Mass was held on Monday, July 7, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Anne's Catholic Church, Naytahwaush, MN. Visitation was one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.

Interment took place at St. Anne's Catholic Cemetery, Naytahwaush, MN.