Les Powles Obituary (1937 - 2019)

Leslie Arthur Powles, age 82, passed away on March 25, 2019 in Wickenburg, Arizona. Les was born to Glen Leslie Powles and Theda Neva Powles on February 5, 1937 in Douglas, Arizona. He is survived by his first wife and friend Nancy Odegard, four daughters, Brenda Laney of Wickenburg, Diane C. Lyle of Wickenburg, Rene Miller of Laguna Beach, CA, Mary Alice Scott of Chandler and two sons Larry A. Powles of Kerrville, TX and Claude C. Duncan of Topeka, KS along with 14 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren and great-great grandchild with another on the way. Leslie was preceded in death by his daughter Tina Lorraine Powles and son Leslie Arthur Powles, Jr. and wife of 35 years Arlene Powles. Papa Les's wishes were to be cremated and laid to rest with his loving wife who joined the Lord on Dec. 10, 2010 on the dream retirement property located in the Grand Canyon Caverns. His dedication to "bringing home the bacon" lead him to a multitude of employment opportunities before retiring in 1995. He served in the U.S. Army in 1956 providing ample debates over the years about which branch was the better, seeing that his son, Larry Powles served in the U.S. Navy for over 23 years, and his grandson Larry Montano, served in the U.S. Army 15 years. Another longer stent of employment led to many grandchildren's memories of grandpa's love for Coors Original beer. It is still a mystery to granddaughter, Terrie Davidson, how he was able to consistently have a Coors in the one hand but never seem to be intoxicated. she is convinced he was just dedicated to marketing the product after working in the distillery from 1957 to 1968. Les had his hand in land surveying as well as insurance agency for New York Insurance Co. before landing in his final occupation with Napa Auto Parts. This path provided contentment and support for his family leading up to his retirement in 1995. He decided to enjoy life with his wife on their property up in the mountain in Grand Canyon Caverns. Storytelling was among many of his wonderful talents. Many of the stories would just wiggle their way into a conversation unexpectedly and captivate all in ears' shot. It was typical the end would result in his contagious giggle that would engulf his entire body. He told a few stories from his time in the service where he was the "Lucky One" so many times that eventually everyone started calling him "Lucky" and this nickname stuck with him ever since. Other talents include sitting for hours and hours watching sports and being able to recall games, players and highlights like the back of his hand. His greatest talent, however, was being a kind and gentle soul to all who met him. He has blessed us all with his very existence and we are not sure exactly how life can function without him, but we will adopt his dedication to "bringing home the bacon" and truck on until we meet again! Cheers to the Lucky One. A family taco night was held Friday, March 29th, in honor of his favorite meal. Family and friends were able to reminisce, and show gratitude for the blessing of such a loving father, grandfather and friend. A formal memorial will be held at a later date and his ashes will be buried next to the love of his life, as planned before her passing in 2010.