Leroy W. Gronert

Leroy W. Gronert, 67 of Jefferson, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 22, 2023, at Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center of Johnson Creek.

Leroy was born on October 3, 1956, in Watertown, WI, the son of Leroy and Marilyn (Heine) Gronert, Sr.   He grew up in Helenville and attended school in Jefferson, graduating from Jefferson High School in 1974.  On September 21, 1985, Leroy married Loretta Ley at Ebenezer Moravian Church in Watertown.  Leroy had 3 children: Jasper, Jessica, and Emily.  Leroy was the owner and operator of Leroy’s Auto Repair (on N. Helenville Rd from 1974-1986 and on E. Racine St. from 1986 – 2017), retiring in 2017.  Leroy was a couple things: a racer, a mechanic, a one-legged speed walker, and a serious talker.  Leroy loved people, and people loved him.  He enjoyed thinking about and planning his next “big move”.  He was an avid Hot Wheels collector, attending conventions with his family throughout the US.  Leroy was an overly generous business owner with the shop minimum of “a buck”.  He loved animals, and Leroy was an absolute celebrity with the hounds at the Jefferson County Dog Park, handing out treats to his K9 friends.  He was a hardworking, dedicated man, who loved his family dearly and will be missed by many. 

He is survived by: his wife and life partner Loretta “Lori” Gronert of Fort Atkinson; children Jasper (Carrie) Gronert of Fort Atkinson, Jessica (Jason) Thoma of Jefferson, and Emily Gronert of Wisconsin Rapids; grandchildren Austin, Kyle, Chase, Marcus, Matthew, and Megan; and his sister Marilyn (Ed) Neugent of St. Louis, MO. Leroy is also survived by a number of other relatives and many friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00PM on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at the Olsen-Gibson Funeral Home with Chaplain Todd Christopherson of the Jefferson Speedway presiding.  Visitation will be on Saturday from 10:00AM until the time of service at the funeral home.

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