William E Lekas
beloved husband, brother, uncle, great uncle, great-great uncle and friend;
William E. “Bill” Lekas, 68, of Tyngsborough, passed away unexpectantly on Monday September 23, 2019 at Lowell General Hospital. He was the beloved husband of Elaine M Lekas (Haskell), with whom he had celebrated his 42nd wedding anniversary on August 27th. They were truly best friends, and partners in every aspect of life.
Born at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts, to the late Evangelos “Teddy” and the late Emelia (Rapeiko) Lekas, he was raised in the Acre section of Lowell, something that he took great pride in throughout his life and attended the Greek School, the Bartlett Junior High School, and Lowell High School, from where he graduated in 1969.
Bill went on to gain a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Lowell State, his teaching certificate from St. Anselm’s College, and a Master’s Degree in Education from Fitchburg State University.
He taught for over 30 years at Dracut High School and Nashoba Valley Technical High School, before retiring in 2010. In his years of teaching he also coached various sports, including basketball and baseball. He cared greatly for every student that entered his classroom and gave every student an equal chance.
In his retirement, he continued his passion for teaching, as an adjunct professor at both UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College. He served on the board of trustees at the Tyngsboro Public Library for 19 years, where he made many good friends.
A lifelong learner, as well as a lifelong teacher, he was an Uncle, Great Uncle, and Great-Great Uncle to many, something that was very important to him. He was always there for his nieces and nephews, and anyone else who needed it, to tell a joke, lend a listening ear, and most importantly, give advice.
A lover of nature, Bill loved providing for the many birds in his yard and enjoyed fishing (although he released anything he caught).
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sister Bessie LeBreque of Dracut, brother Sambati Lekas and his wife Linda of Chelmsford; his brother-in-law David T. Haskell and his wife Christine of Tewksbury, sister-in-law Nancy Haskell and her partner Kathleen Broga of Chelmsford, and his brother-in-law Charles Kuenzler of Lowell; nieces and nephews Tommy, Kathy, Charlie, Judy, Nancy, Michael, John, god-daughter Christina, Danny, Christine, Brian, Ben, Maria, god-son Teddy, and Dougie; as well as many Great and Great Great nieces and nephews. Bill is also survived by two cousins Sharon Lekas and Thea Curry.
He was also predeceased by his sister Anna Kuenzler, his brother-in-law Roland “Smokey” LeBreque his nephew Evangelos “Teddy” Lekas and his mother-in-law Marjorie Haskell. Bill is also survived by many friends made over the years from all walks of his life.
Friends may call at the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME, 276 PAWTUCKET ST. in LOWELL Thursday afternoon from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Private Services will be held for his family at a later date. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in his memory to The Open Pantry of Greater Lowell 13 Hurd Street Lowell, MA 01852, theopenpantry.org. Arrangements by Funeral Director James F. O’Donnell, Jr. – (978) 458-8768.
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