Leo Don Carney

Leo Don Carney, known by family and friends as Don, left this earth, quietly, and peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, Wednesday January 11, 2017.  He was 95 years young.  Born on February 18, 1921 in Salt Lake City, Utah to father, Leo Howard Carney and mother, Anna Maria Margarita Scheid Carney, he lived a wonderful and blessed life.  According to Don, his father and mother were the best people he had ever known.   As a young boy, he played cowboys and Indians in the fields near his home in summer and sled down the hills in winter.
Don attended Douglas Grade School, Roosevelt Jr. High, East High, and about one semester at the University of Utah.  He was a hard working young man shoveling snow and mowing lawns to make a few dollars.  At the age of 7 he began playing the violin and received a scholarship at age 10 for one year of free lessons.
On December 7, 1941 everything changed as the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  Don served in the Army for 5 years, four months, and 28 days.  He was in the European theater 8th Army Air Force 34th Bomb Group.  He served in Brazil, Africa, England, Austria, Greenland, and Iceland.  He received his Honorable Discharge from the Separation Center Fort Douglas, Utah on August 20, 1945.
After the war, Don began his professional life, which would take him from Schubach Jewelers, to a technical advisor at Sam Goldwyn Studios in Santa Monica, CA on the B-17 used during the war.  The majority of his years were spent selling “nuts and bolts” for Premier Fastener Co while living in Orange, California.  He loved being a salesman, building territories, making friends, with his motto always being, “Leave them laughing!”
In October of 1953, Don met and married JoAnn Lewis, and began building his family of 6 with the birth of his four daughters, Kim Ann Carney, Shannon Weems, Joan Camarillo, and Erin Donalie Carney.  He has four grandchildren, Micah Eversz, Leonard DeHaro, Arwen Langsford, and Sonya Castellon, along with 7 great grandchildren, Keyandra, Marcel Jr., Leo Jr., Niko, Ava, Kylie, and Lana.  They enjoyed socializing, playing golf, and swimming and were married for almost 25 years.  JoAnn passed away in 1979.
In 1980, Don attended the East High School, 40th Reunion, in Salt Lake City, Utah and became reacquainted with an old friend Jeanne Bridwell.  Jeanne and Don had much in common, not the least of which was both having four daughters!  So with an expanding family and many adventures ahead, Don and Jeanne were married in 1984.  They lived in Mesa, Arizona for the majority of their 31 years together, until moving to Utah to be closer to family in 2015.  Don lost Jeanne in August of that year after a fall.
Don has spent the last 2 years back in Utah, with daily calls with his four daughters, and visits and laughter with his stepdaughters and their families.  He lived by the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and was surrounded by love and warmth all his life.  He will be missed.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday February 18, 2017 at:
Cheesecake Factory – Millcreek Room
65 Regent Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Time:  1:30p -3:30p
Please RSVP to Shannon Weems at shannon@apolloemb.com on or before Friday February 10, 2017.
Don preferred lots of color and his favorite was plaid so please feel free to dress in festive attire.  Black is optional.