Leland Leroy Silverness

Leland Leroy Silverness “Lee,” to most, was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  Oldest and only son of Nels Leroy Silverness and Jeanette Marie (Swanson) Silverness, he grew up in Foley, Minnesota, and graduated as Valedictorian from Foley High School in 1963.  He matriculated at Carleton College in Northfield, MN, and graduated with a B. A. in Economics in 1967.  He pursued further studies at the University of MN, and while there, met his wife of 52 years, Judy (Peterson) Silverness, while they were on the wait staff at the Minneapolis Athletic Club.  They were married in Chaska MN, March 31, 1969.  They lived their early married life in Minneapolis, where they were dorm parents in a nursing dorm, and they attended Oliver Presbyterian Church.  In 1971, Lee took a job as a teacher at Aquinas College in Nassau, Bahamas.  Judy was also hired as an English teacher at another school, and they lived in the tropical paradise for 6 years, where their oldest daughter, Gabrielle, was born in 1976.  In 1977, they moved back to East Bethel, MN, where they managed Judy’s mother’s restaurant, the Dolphin II.  In 1980, their second daughter, Bethany was born, and in 1983 they moved to Otsego, MN. In 1985 their third daughter Shekinah Joy was born and 1990 brought the birth of their son Jaaziel. Lee took classes at Brown Institute, and became a computer programmer at Control Data in 1982. He worked there until his division was sold to Seagate and later moved on to consulting with Zinncorp.  He worked as a consultant with them at several different companies and finished his employment at Thomson Reuters.  He also had a period of unemployment in the early 2001, when he took a part time job as a school bus driver and a tax preparer at H & R Block.  He also taught physics and coached soccer at Alliance Christian Academy in the early 1980’s.  He always enjoyed anything that had a ball…football, soccer, basketball, baseball, even hockey.   He could quote countless baseball stats, enjoyed fantasy football and baseball for years; he was even known to have at least 20 different fantasy baseball teams going at a time! There was never a day that passed that the radio was silent - he’d always tune it slightly off-station, so it would have that particular static sound he loved.

He led many Bible studies and taught Sunday School; a good listener, a mentor to many and usually the last one to leave church every Sunday. His love for people was immense and he told great stories.  He also loved a long drive…if you had a chance to go around where he grew up, he could tell you who lived on every farm and their histories.  He was never in a hurry, great with puns and always had a dad joke at the ready. 

His legacy lives on through his wife, Judy, daughters Gabrielle (Thomas) Caucutt, Bethany, Shekinah Joy (Matt) Bonin, and son Jaaziel (Brittany); six grandsons , Hector, Patrick, Peter, James, Gareth, and Hugh Caucutt. His sister Annette (Allan) Stowe, sister-in-law Rosemary (Peterson) Soderquist, and Bonnie (Peterson) Van Der Schagen; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents.  

A graveside service for immediate family will be held on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at 10:00 am, followed by a memorial service at Gateway Church, 13913 185th Avenue NW, Elk River, MN, at 2:00 pm.  Family and friends are invited to attend the memorial service and share their memories of Lee and his legacy.

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