Leland George Hecker Sr.

Leland George Hecker Sr. (Lee) passed away on December 11, 2006 after a long battle with cancer. Lee was born November 18, 1918 in Utica, Michigan. Lee graduated from Utica High School and enrolled in radio school in Detroit. He joined the Coast Guard in 1940 and was a Chief Petty Officer on a ship that patrolled between New York City and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after the start of WW II. Lee married the love of his life, Enid Thurston Frank in 1945 after a whirlwind courtship that lasted 62 years. They were married in Great Neck, NY and relocated to Las Cruces in 1954 where Lee was employed at what was then called "White Sands Proving Grounds". He retired as a civil servant with the U.S. Army in 1974 after serving a one year stint in Vietnam in 1968 and 69 teaching electronics to military personnel. After his retirement, he devoted his free time to music, which was always a big part of his life. Lee played locally with the