LESLIE WILMOTH PASSES

Leslie Hicks Wilmoth, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army retired, 92 of Elizabethtown, died Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at his home. A native and life long resident of Hardin County, he was a member of Memorial United Methodist Church for over 50 years. He was a graduate of Lynnvale High School and received a certificate in Business Administration and Accounting from Bowling Green Business College, and was working on a degree in secondary education at Bowling Green College of Commerce when he joined the Army in January, 1942. He was assigned to General McArthur's headquarters in Australia in May, 1942 where he served as Administrative Assistant until December, 1945 achieving the rank of Warrant Officer. During WWII, he was also stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines. He was a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army Reserve from 1945 to 1948. He accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Kentucky National Guard in 1949. Although he never personally led troops in combat, his expertise in military administration, logistics and intelligence services provided the necessary support for the troops. He served in the Korean War from 1951 to 1953 and was stationed in Japan. He was a graduate of the Army Supply Management School, Ft. Lee, VA, the Computer School at Ft. Mammoth, NJ, the Advanced Field Artillery School, Ft. Sill, OK and the Financial Supply Accounting School, Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN. His military decorations include the Bronze Star and several campaign ribbons. He retired from military service after 29 years of service. While in Australia in WWII, he met and married his wife of 65 years, Eileen O'Doherty of Southport, Queensland, Australia.

Following retirement from federal civil service after 32 years of service at Ft. Knox as a supply management analyst, he founded the Wilmoth Nursery in 1973 and operated it until 2003. He was the editor and publisher of the Kentucky Kernel, journal of the Kentucky Nut Growers Association from 1976 to 2006 and was elected Dean of the Kentucky Nut Growers Association in 2006. He was also a past president of the Ohio Nut Growers Association, an editor-in-chief of the Pomona fruit tree magazine, contributor to the book, Nut Tree Culture of North America, and wrote articles for the American Fruit Grower magazine. He was a self-taught, practicing horticulturalist specializing in nut tree propagation and was a consultant to the U. K. College of Agriculture for many years. He was a pioneer in developing new procedures for budding and grafting nut trees. Some of his grafted nut trees are in the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. He conducted a field day at his nursery to train others on nut tree propagation for 20 years. He is remembered for his stewardship of trees and the environment, and for promoting the education of his children, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, nephews and others. He was made a Kentucky Colonel in 1972. He was an outdoors enthusiast. His hobbies included boating, camping, fishing, hunting and hiking. He and his wife traveled widely including Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and England.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Evan Wilmoth and Donnie Hicks Wilmoth; and three brothers, Clarence, George and Richard Wilmoth. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Eileen O'Doherty Wilmoth of Elizabethtown; a sister, Frances Wilmoth Poteet of Elizabethtown; three children, Dr. Gregory (Cynthia) Wilmoth of Silver Spring, MD, Dr. Deborah Wilmoth of Perth, Australia and Catherine (Ronnie) Basham of Cecilia; four grandchildren, Cheryl Phelps (Carter) Christopher of Burke, VA, Channon Phelps (Brian) Minton of Elizabethtown, Ashley Basham of Cecilia and Rebecca Wilmoth (Mark) Uziel of Silver Spring, MD, three great grandchildren, Ian Chase Minton, William Uziel and Henry Christopher, 4 step grandsons, Jody, Jamie, Jason and Jeremy Basham, 10 step great grandchildren and 2 step great great grandchildren.

|Top| |KNGA Home Page| |Pawpaw Home Page| |KSU Home Page| |KSU Land Grant Page| |CV of Kirk W. Pomper|

Questions about nut growing or pawpaws?
Contact Dr. Kirk Pomper at: kirk.pomper@kysu.edu or telephone # 502-597-5942

Visitors since October 5, 2006:  

Updated July 05, 2010Webmaster: Kirk Pomper