South Bend - Leroy Lincoln Brenneman, 96, passed away on Sunday, October 6th, 2024, four years to the exact day after his loving wife's passing, October 6th, 2020. He left this world with loving family beside him at the Center for Hospice, Mishawaka, IN. leaving behind an endless amount of stories, lessons, and treasures from his life.

Leroy was born to the late Harry and Florence (Fletcher) Brenneman on February 12th, 1928, in Kalida, Ohio.

The Sunday after Easter 1946, Ollie Owsley was dared by her older sister Goldie to call Leroy's phone number- 84656, the two got to talking, and the rest as they say is history. The two of them were married October 14th, 1950 and moved to Mishawaka, Indiana soon raising three children: Charles, Jerry, and Lisa in the historic Normain Heights neighborhood.

Leroy was a machinist at Bendix Corporation for more than thirty years, where he retired in 1981 with a countless variety of humorous stories he loved to tell about mostly* harmless jokes that played out on the floors of Bendix with his coworkers.

Leroy was preceded in death by his wife, Ollie Brenneman, son, Jerry Brenneman, three brothers, Clyde Brenneman, Don Brenneman, Junior Brenneman, two sisters, Erma Jenkins and Sophia Moore.

Leroy enjoyed nature, including the likes of fishing and hunting. He began going up North to Canada for hunting and fishing trips which he has passed on as tradition to his family, after accumulating over twenty trips during his lifetime. Leroy was also what some may call a "gear-head", owning and working on countless unique and beautiful cars, recalling some of his favorites being a 1938 Buick, 1949 Chevy convertible, a 1955 Buick, 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1969 Pontiac Catalina convertible, and a 1988 Lincoln Towncar.

He and his wife enjoyed collecting antiques, traveling around to different shows and markets, all while making a vast amount of friends doing so. Since the 1960s he was also a skilled watchmaker and especially enjoyed repairing pocket watches, which he did well into his 90s. Leroy and Ollie were snowbirds, traveling down to Lake Okeechobee during the winter to enjoy their time together fishing and browsing the antique markets in the area.

Leroy is survived by a son, Charles (Cindy) Brenneman, Daughter Lisa Priebe, two grandsons,  Jared Basker,  Johnathan Brenneman, all from South Bend, and a sister, Juanita Nafziger  of Goshen.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, October 10th from 4:00 PM till 6:00 PM at Chapel Hill Funeral Home.

The funeral service will be on Friday, October 11th at 1:00 at Chapel Hill Funeral Home.

Interment will immediately follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.