Robert Martin Leland, Jr.

Robert Martin Leland, Jr., 82, of Kinston, NC, passed away on December 28th, 2022, after a long battle with Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Robert, known to his friends and family as “Bob,” was born on March 17th, 1940, to Robert Leland Sr. and Mary Sole Leland in Hammond, Indiana. He graduated from Hammond Technical School in 1958, enlisted in the U.S. Army that same year, and served his country in Seoul, South Korea, until 1961.

He married his first wife Phyllis Jean Walker in 1958 and had two children, Donald and Sherri. After divorcing and moving to California in 1970, he married his second wife, Barbara Ellen Sanborn, and had a son, also named Robert. He was a stepfather to Barbara’s four children from a previous marriage: John, Darla, Michael, and Lisa Rode.

Robert worked in a variety of industries after serving in the military. At various points of his life, he worked in real estate, finance, manufacturing, house renovation, building maintenance, property management, and facility management. He was a licensed realtor and graduated from Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA. After his second divorce in 1994, he moved to Mesa, Arizona to work at a retirement home before returning to California in 1997. He retired in 2006 from All-In-One Products, Inc., and moved to Kinston, NC, to live near his son Donald, his daughter-in-law Linda, and his grandson Jeremy. Once retired, he spent much of his time volunteering for the local Methodist Church and the Kairos Prison Ministry, and worked part-time as a train operator at the Nature Center in Kinston.

He was a devoted and loving father and grandfather, imparting life lessons, strong personal ethics, and self-discipline to his children, stepchildren, and grandchildren. He also enjoyed various hobbies and interests including science fiction, professional & collegiate sports, computer programming, hunting, golf, and carpentry. He was a lifelong fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and a longtime fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Leland Sr. and Mary Sole Leland, his brother Wesley Leland, his sister Ruth Leland Bolton, his ex-wife Barbara Sanborn Leland, and his stepdaughter Lisa Rode Cook. He is survived by his sister Cheryl Leland Hamilton; son Donald Leland and wife Linda; daughter Sherri Leland Barton and husband Robert; son Robert Leland III and wife Nora; ex-wife Phyllis Walker Smith; stepsons John Rode and Michael Rode; stepdaughter Darla Rode Tillett; grandsons Jeremy Leland, Bobby Barton, and Kyle Barton; step-grandchildren Tiffany Tillett Curry, Deana Rode, Megan Tillett Kearney, Gavin Tillett, Steven Tillett, Dawn Rode Schettino, Jason Cook, Jamie Cook, Danielle Rode Bridges, and Rhiannon Rode; and great grandchildren Blake, Leylanis, Landyn, Isaac, Levi and Berkleigh Barton.

The family wishes to thank the staff of the North Carolina Veteran's Home in Kinston for caring for their loved one.

There will be a visitation and memorial service at Garner Funeral Home in Kinston, NC, on January 6th, 2023, from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. Following the service, a graveside ceremony and burial will take place at 2 PM at Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Elroy, NC. Pastor Greg Dickerson will officiate.