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Wednesday, September 1, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Obituaries
Thomas A. Stoery
Jay Edwin Leonhardy
February 25, 1932 — August 19, 2021
October 30, 1959 — August 9, 2021
Thomas Anton (Tom)
Stoery passed away peace-
fully on August 19 at the
age of 89. Tom was a resi-
dent of The Lodge, a resi-
dential retirement commu-
nity in Sisters, where he
resided for two years.
Tom is survived by
his son, Scott Stoery, and
Scott9s wife, Emilee, in
Sisters; and his grandsons,
Christian and Emerson. His
daughter Andrea, her hus-
band, Greg, and grandson
Elias live in Texas.
To m w a s b o r n i n
Estherville, Iowa on
February 25, 1932 4 the
third child of Anton and
Embar Stoery. His par-
ents, as well as his siblings,
Elizabeth and Samuel, pre-
ceded him in death.
Following gradua-
tion from the University
of Minnesota in 1956, he
joined the Rock Island
Railroad in its manage-
ment training program. He
continued in management
positions for 25 years. His
grandfather Caspar and his
father, Anton, were also
employed by Rock Island
for a total of 117 years of
family employment with
the company.
He continued in the
transportation industry in
various capacities in the
development and manage-
ment of short line railroads
in California and Nevada,
as a broker of small rail-
roads, and numerous
Jay Edwin Leonhardy
passed away Monday,
August 9, 2021 in Santa
Isobel, California, at the age
of 61.
Jay was born in
Burlingame, California, on
October 30, 1959 and grew
up in Cottage Grove and
Sisters, Oregon.
He spent his adult years
in the San Francisco Bay
Area, and was known for
his political activism. He
worked with Sane Freeze,
an anti-nuclear organization,
as a lobbyist and canvasser;
he was the chief of staff for
Oakland City Councilman
Henry Chang; he wrote
grants for the Native
American Health Center in
Oakland; he was the direc-
tor of youth works for the
city of Richmond, finding
funding and job training
for youth at risk; and he
led numerous campaigns
for people seeking political
positions in the Bay Area.
These are just highlights of
consulting activities.
He was very adventur-
ous and recently went on a
private flight with Outlaw
Aviation from Sisters to see
the Columbia Gorge, Mount
Hood, and the Oregon
Coast. He also loved the
outdoors and picnics on the
Metolius.
He was a proud, lov-
ing, and happy father and
grandfather. He had a vig-
orous curiosity about the
world and an appreciation
of peoples9 histories and
personal stories. His stories
and anecdotes will live on
for many years.
his many accomplishments
throughout his work life.
The people he helped during
this time are innumerable.
His sense of adventure
led him to Australia, the
Middle East, and Indonesia;
and he had friends wherever
he traveled.
Jay spent his retirement
as a <rock hound,= traveling
from the sun stone mines in
Oregon to the tourmaline
mine in Santa Isobel where
he lived and worked. He
shared his love and knowl-
edge of digging rocks with
others who turned the dirt
in hopes of finding treasures
once the dirt was washed
away.
Jay was notorious for his
crazy driving habits. He ter-
rified anyone who had to
ride with him. His favorite
saying was: <Drive fast, take
chances, and don9t forget to
transform.=
Jay is predeceased by his
brother, Jerry Leonhardy,
and his father, Bruce
Leonhardy.
He is survived by his
mother, Roberta (Bobbe)
Leonhardy; his two sis-
ters, Rachel and Tracy
Leonhardy; his aunts, Adele
Leonhardy Irvin and Terry
Leonhardy; and his cousins,
Galen, Robert, and Jonelle
Leonhardy, Matthew Irvin,
Rhonda Wirth, and Michelle
Dellit. He was <Unka Jay=
to numerous children of
family and friends.
A casual celebration of
life will be held for family
and friends later this year at
his mother9s home in Bend,
Oregon.
The Law Offi ce of
JOHN H. MYERS,
S LLC C
— Downtown Sisters —
WILLS & TRUSTS
Make it easy for you and your loved ones.
Call for a free 30-minute consultation.
Protect what you’ve
worked for.
541-588-2414
204 W. Adams Ave., Ste 203
www.centraloregonattorney.com
Portraits OF SISTERS
A fifth-generation rancher and native Texan, Hobbs Magaret now
describes himself as a first-generation grazier. The 34-year-old grew up
in the trade but shifted when he found a passion for music. That musi-
cal career moved him around — pursuing a degree in guitar and owning
a variety of musical businesses that would eventually flop. He and his
wife, along with their 3-month-old daughter, hit rock bottom and jotted
out a plan to take up ranching again. With $15,000 and a broken-down
truck, Hobbs started Sisters Cattle Co. The local cattle outfit uses graz-
ing techniques that benefit the land and the animals by implement-
ing high-density grazing patterns that work the soil and vegetation.
Hobbs leases land that feeds his cattle, and he rejuvenates the land in
ways not seen for centuries, all with the focus on a better ecosystem.
“Ranching cattle is a lot like music for me,” he says. “It’s an ecologi-
cal symphony and the cattle are the conductors. This is where I get my
creativity now.”
THIS MONTH’S “PORTRAITS OF SISTERS” PRESENTED BY:
PHOTO AND STORY BY
Cody Rheault
382 E Hood Ave | Suite A East | Sisters OR 97759
541.419.5577 Licensed In The State of Oregon