Leigh M. Thaeler Sr., 77, of Horseshoe Dr., Derry, died Thursday, August 15, 2002, at the Mt. Carmel Nursing Home in Manchester. He was born in Newark, NJ on March 18, 1925, a son of the late Abraham S. and Martha M. (MacQueen) Thaeler. He was a resident of Derry for the past 35 years, formerly living in Kearny, NJ where he graduated from Kearny High School. He had been employed as an electrical engineer for Western Electric in N. Andover, MA and for Hadco Printed Circuits in Salem. He was an avid organist for 50 years and had played at St. Lukes United Methodist Church in Derry for over 15 years. Mr. Thaeler was very involved with providing “Sound Service” in the Derry community for parades, town meetings, veterans, horse shows and many other civic functions. He was the founder of the Interfaith Choir of Derry.
He is survived by his wife, June J. (Shaw) Thaeler of Derry, two sons, Leigh M. Thaeler Jr. of San Diego, CA, Robert J. McCallum of Kearny, NJ, two daughters, Martha Ann Haney of Ramona, CA, June A. Mickel of Cross Junction, VA, nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and one sister, Joyce E. Thaeler of Watertown, MA. He was predeceased by a son, William Edward McCallum in December of 2001.
A memorial service to celebrate Leigh’s life will be held Saturday September 14, 2002 at 2:00pm at Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church, ELCA,171 Zion Hill Rd., N. Salem, NH (Off Rte 111). Interment will follow in the memorial garden at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to DMS Development, Hinman Box 7070, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH 03755 or to the Interfaith Choir of Derry, PO Box 325, E. Derry, NH 03041. The Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry is handling the arrangements.