Leroy William Cole

Leroy W. Cole, age 78, died Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at Lehigh Valley Hospital Pocono, in Pennsylvania. From his birth in Jefferson, Oregon, on December26, 1939, to his death on Tuesday, he nourished people around him with kindness, faith and love and always brought smiles to their faces with his ever present sense of humor. He was born on a small farm to Otis John & Nellie May (Dickinson) Cole. Leroy was the eighth of nine children.He attended Ambassador College in Pasadena, California and in 1962, after graduating, he married Laura Jean Counts, his wife of nearly 56 years. The Worldwide Church of God sent them to Sydney, Australia, where their first two daughters were born. Being a faithful and true Christian, Leroy was ordained into the ministry in 1965. He pastored the Ballarat Church in Victoria, Australia, before being transferred to Perth in 1973, where their third daughter was born. They returned to the United States in 1974. There, he pastored churches in California, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. After 52 years in the ministry, Leroy retired in December 2017. Interment is in Old Chico Cemetery, Park County, Montana, where he awaits the Resurrection. Survivors include: his wife; three daughters, Julie (Kiril) Dimitrov, Lynda (Jeff) Kogutkiewicz and Lauretta (Charles) Ferranti; seven grandchildren, Amanda Dimitrov, Audrey (Levi) Adams, Jessica Dimitrov, Jonathan Kogutkiewicz, Stephen Kogutkiewicz, Ryon Dimitrov, and Kayla Kogutkiewicz; five great-grandchildren, Savannah Dimitrov, Katana Adams, Charlie Martin, McKinzy Adams and Chase Adams; three sisters, Ella Mae Walker, Arlene Hamm and Esther Glover; and two brothers, Wayne Cole and Alfred Cole.A graveside funeral and burial was held at 11:00 A.M, on Sunday, July 22nd, at the Old Chico Cemetery, in Paradise Valley, MT. Local arrangements are under the care of Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory in Livingston, MT.