Leonard H. Mantooth

Leonard H. Mantooth, 91, a resident of Cleveland, passed away Tuesday, April 20, 2010 in a local hospital. He was a member of Cedar Springs Baptist Church. Mr. Mantooth was a product of the Great Depression and joined the C.C.C. Camp in 1938 in order to be able to secure stable employment. In 1940, he entered the U. S. Army which began his career in the military. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He served the remainder of World War II in the U.S. Army. At the end of the war, he joined the newly created U.S. Air Force and participated in the Berlin Airlift. Mr. Mantooth retired from the service as Master Sergeant. His military career spanned twenty-five years. He was scheduled to visit Washington D.C. and the World War II Memorial on April 28th of this year. He was on the committee to secure a Southeast Tennessee Veterans Home in Bradley County. He was the son of the late Alpheus L. Mantooth and Grace Z. Hayes Mantooth. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Loraine Mantooth , who he wed on April 20, 1946; son, Leonard Mantooth, Jr. who lost his life in Vietnam; brothers: Wayne Mantooth, Herman Mantooth and Mack Mantooth. Survivors include his children: Roy David Mantooth and wife, Vickie of Louisville, KY and Angela Keeton and husband, David of Rockville, VA; grandchildren, Dylan Mantooth and Haley Mantooth of Louisville, KY; sisters, Gladys Pullen and Virgie Toomey and husband, Kenneth all of Cleveland; brother, Howard Mantooth of Princeton, IL; special nieces, Susan Moore and Danise Jones and other nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 23, 2010 in the chapel of Fike Funeral Home with the Reverend Greg Long officiating. Interment will follow in Cedar Springs Baptist Church Cemetery with military honors. The service will conclude with a white dove release ceremony. His family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service on Friday. The family suggest that memorials may be made to Southeast Tennessee Veterans Home, 155 Ocoee St. NW, Cleveland, TN 37311 or perform a good deed or act of charity in his memory. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Mantooth family guestbook at www.fikefh.com.