LeRoy "Red" Tye, 84, of Griswold, IA, died Monday evening, January 18, 2010 at his home in Griswold.

LeRoy Ira Tye was born on April 5, 1925, at Griswold, the son of Maynard LeRoy and Greta Cecilia (Smith) Tye. He grew up in the Whipple neighborhood attending rural schools and graduating from Griswold High School in 1943. In early 1945 he was inducted into the U S Army and served with the occupation forces in the South Pacific as an auto mechanic. He was discharged June 26, 1946 and returned to Griswold to farm. He was married to Norma Boyd. He also worked as an auto mechanic for Scharf Brothers and for Kewin Auto. Red had a bulldozer and enjoyed doing dirt work. On January 6, 1982, he married Sandy Toepfer Luke at Lewis and they moved to town in the early 1990's. Red enjoyed his motorcycles and was a member of GWTA (Gold Wing Touring Association). He was an avid bowler and was a 60-year member of Griswold American Legion Post # 508. In his later years, he enjoyed baking breads, pies and cinnamon rolls. If there was a NASCAR race, on television, he would be watching it.

Survivors include his wife Sandy of Griswold; his stepson Charlie (Tracy) Luke of Ida Grove, IA, and his stepdaughter Sherry Riggs of Lexington, NC; his daughter Pam (Weldon) Ewing of Griswold and his son Mike Tye of Red Oak, IA. Also surviving are 3 step-grandchildren, 8 grandchildren and 16 great grand-children as well as his brother Byron (Lovella) Tye of Griswold.

Preceding Red in death were his 2 sons: Rodney and David Joe; his daughter Connie Gilbert; his sisters Donna Dunn, Vera Jean Meyers, and Lorraine Porter and his special brother-in-law, Vernon Brawdy.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 2:00 PM at the Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold with Pastor Leon Hodges officiating. Open visitation will be at the Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold, however the family will not be present at any given time. Burial with military honors will be at the Whipple Cemetery.