Leigh Harlan Lorenson
Leigh Harlan Lorenson
As he closed one chapter of his life, he started L&L Tooling & Mfg with his son, Kevin, in 1979, and his creative juices really went into high gear. During the next 26 years, along with his son Kevin, they made precision-engineered equipment and components to serve the stringent requirements of the aerospace industry. A few of the customers included NASA, Lockheed Martin and McDonald Douglas. In March of 1982, he made a mold of the Man 0’ War statue at the Kentucky Horse Park to then cast an exact duplicate of the statue for use in the movie “And They’re Off.” Kirk also joined the company and worked there for approximately four years before starting his own successful welding business. In April of 1982, their company made several features for the Sesame Place Park in Irving, Texas. In 1996, L&L Tooling created a half-size replica of the famed Concorde Supersonic Transport plane that was transported to New York and erected in Times Square on the roof of the British Airways building. His son, Kirk, stepped in during this project to help weld the interior framework of the plane.
He married Joan McAlpin May 2, 1981, in Hawaii. Their love of traveling took them on many adventures to other countries and throughout the states.
Leigh is survived by his wife, Joan; his three children, MeLea (Scott) Kinkaid, Hartington; Kevin (Donna) Lorenson, Trinity, Texas, and Kirk (Marcy) Lorenson, Trinity, Texas; grandsons, Aden (Erika) Springer and Skyles (fiancĂ©e, Madison Ternus) Kinkaid; granddaughters, Katy Krumm and Kelsey (Eric) Jones; great-grandchildren, Shaye, Weston and Adalynn Springer; Darsey, Emma, Stella and Livi Krumm; and Taylor and Easton Jones; sister, Elda (Lauren) Juracek, Omaha; and many nieces and nephews; and Joan’s children, Judy, Stephanie, Darren and Johnny.
He is preceded in death by his parents; sister and brother-in-law, LaVada and Donley Mainquist; niece, Julie Heiss; and nephew, Kurt Juracek.