Leon Duane Crossman

Dr. Leon D. Crossman, (84), of Richfield, Minnesota, formerly of Midland, Michigan and Miller, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on February 9, 2024, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Leon was born and raised in Miller, SD and helped on his family's commercial chicken farm, The Crossman Hatchery. He attended South Dakota State University, earning both a BS and MS in Engineering Physics. He was a red shirt walk on for the SDSU basketball team and played in the National Collegiate Basketball Championship Final Four in 1961. He joked that they needed his GPA on the team, so they gave him the chance to play. His coach said it was the only time he saw Physics professors attending games and cheering for the team. While at SDSU, he married his first wife, Barbara, also from Miller, SD and they welcomed their two daughters, Leann and Marylou Kristine. Leon earned his PhD in Solid State Physics at Iowa State University in 1967. While going to school in Ames, Iowa the family lived in a very small trailer. Because of this, he never wanted a recreational camper because he said he already did that while attending college. After interning at Dow Corning Hemlock Semiconductor, upon graduation he was hired and moved his family to Midland, MI. During his career, Leon held both technical and leadership roles, starting as a Research Physicist and Manager of Semiconductor Silicon Research and working his way to Vice President and Executive Director of Science and Technology. During his tenure, he attended the Sloan School for Senior Executives at MIT and the Japanese International Business School. He was on the Iowa State University Physics and Astronomy Advisory Council, on NASA's Enabling Propulsion Materials Advisory Board, a Corporate Representative to the Industrial Research Institute, and on the Council of Chemical Research. After retiring in 1999, he was a consultant for the Dow Corning Technology Advisory Board for seven years. He attended the Presbyterian church his entire life, starting as a child at the First Presbyterian Church in Miller. While in Midland he and his wife Barbara were active members of Chapel Lane Presbyterian. Leon volunteered as Sunday School Superintendent, High School Sunday School Teacher, Elder and Deacon. He also led the committee to expand the church building. He was dedicated to his family, going on Girl Scout camping trips with the girls, teaching them pinochle on game nights, passing on his love of basketball, teaching them how to golf and always planning the next family vacation. His first wife, Barbara passed away in 1990. Leon was blessed to find love again and married Patricia Duffey Closs in 1993. With six adult children between them, they built a life filled with family, and frequently travelled to Michigan, Minnesota, and California for grandchildren's birthdays and activities. They loved escaping the winters to warm weather destinations and spending summers at the cottage in Northern Michigan with family. Leon travelled extensively for work and pleasure, visiting numerous countries and nearly all 50 states in the U.S. He also enjoyed playing golf, reading, playing cards/board games, and watching sunsets. He was passionate about Michigan State football and basketball. He was first diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014. He and Pat moved to Minnesota seven years ago to be closer to family. He never complained about the devastating challenges of this disease and managed it with grace and strength, fighting until the end. Leon is best known for being a kind man who rarely said anything negative, was supportive, patient and kind. He personified I Corinthians bible verse: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Leon is survived by his wife of 30 years, Pat (Duffey Closs) Crossman; daughter Leann (Joe) Bigos and grandchildren Andrew (Holly) Bigos, Philip (Christina) Bigos and great-grandson Zeke, and Kimberly (Michael) Messenger; daughter Marylou Kristine (Tom) Crossman-Little and her stepchildren Dr. Nicole Hoiland and her children Morgan and Kian, Matthew Little, and Kristin (Andrew) Nelson and their children Kael and Ethan. Leon is also survived by stepchildren Diane (Jon) Herrmann and grandchildren Jack and Alex; Brian (Pam) Closs and grandchildren Daniel and Nick; Susan (Collin) Nelson and grandchildren Emily, Sara, and Jacob; Carol (Jeff) Plotnik and grandchildren Anna and Matthew. He was preceded in death by his parents Mildred Emma (Peterson) Crossman and Leeland Leroy Crossman, stepsister Luella (Casey) Schultz, and his first wife of 30 years, Barbara Lou (Hurlbut) Crossman. In lieu of flowers, our family asks that you donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research or Presbyterian Homes of Bloomington where Leon received excellent care in his last year of life. Our heartfelt gratitude extends to the caregivers from Care Builders, Presbyterian Homes, and HealthPartners hospice care. We will be forever grateful for the care, kindness, and compassion they showed Leon and our family. A memorial service will be held at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home in Edina, Minnesota on May 11th at 1pm, with a visitation at 12pm. The service will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.

Tributes

Leon Duane Crossman

June 18, 1939 - February 9, 2024

Tributes

Leon Duane Crossman

June 18, 1939 - February 9, 2024

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