Leo B. Valla, Jr., 68, of Maryland Heights, MO passed away at his home unexpectedly on Saturday, February 4, 2023. Leo was born November 29, 1954 in Kansas City, MO to Leo B. Valla, Sr. and Betty Marie (Donnelly) Valla. They preceded Leo in death.Leo’s love for space began as a teenager, when he watched the Apollo Space Mission and dreamed of working in space. An incredibly brilliant man, Leo graduated valedictorian from Northeast High School in Kansas City, MO. He went on and earned a BS in Aerospace Engineering, earned a MA in Mechanical Engineering and a MA in Aerospace Engineering, all from The University of Missouri at Rolla. During his time in Rolla, he worked as a teachers aide to help further his education. He went on to have a long and rewarding career with McDonnell Douglas & Boeing.
Leo had a deep love for family and those close to him. In his spare time, he continued to learn. He was an avid reader, enjoyed history, science and politics. He cherished his time spent with Jeano, cycling, skiing and scuba diving. Leo was also an avid sports fan, with his two favorite teams being the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Blues.
Survivors include the love of his life, Carla Light “Jeano” of St. Louis, MO; siblings: Mary Valla of Parkville, MO, John Valla of Kansas City, MO, Sue Hurst and husband, Marty of Kansas City, MO, Nancy Valla of Los Angeles, CA, Cynthia Valla of Parkville, MO and Deborah Riffle and husband Duane of Kansas City, MO; and several nieces and nephews.
All services will be held on Friday, February 10, 2023. Visitation 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Meyers Northland Chapel, 401 Main St. Parkville, MO 64152, with the Committal Service following at Barry Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to The Aerospace Engineering Program at Missouri S & T and may be left in care of the funeral home. Memories of Leo and condolences may be shared at Meyersfuneralchapel.com.
I’m so sorry to hear of Leo’s passing. I worked for Leo during the late 200x period. He was managing our tools and process development team. I will always remember his big booming voice echoing over the floor. He was a great advocate for the team and was very effective at securing funding and guiding our development efforts. The tools he’s responsible for developing will live on and be used by future generations of engineers at Boeing.
Leo my friend, I am at a loss for words, but even after a decade of not seeing you, the world today seems empty. I think about the times we had, simple that they were then and how important they are now. Cliff Drive, Pee Dee’s Bike Shop, St. Pat’s (and all that it entailed), Shakey’s Pizza, bottle rockets, backyard pools, pool tables and Star Trek. Never did agree on the best episode, or who was the greater threat, but we knew who the best villain was, (Khan).
You were the smartest guy that I ever knew. Yours was a life well lived, on your own time and your own terms. You made your living doing things you liked to do, and did some pretty cool things in the process. You were, and are, a great friend, always blunt and honest, but there when I called. I hope to see you again! To Mary, John, Susan, Nancy, Cindy and Debbie, my thoughts and prayers are with you, but also my fond memories. Please realize that this is not the end of these experienced and memories, just a temporary break. Bless you and Godspeed.
I will always remember Leo’s constant smile and calm demeanor. I enjoyed our friendship, getting our scuba certification together and then subsequent trips with him and Carla to dive in Florida and other places. Along with ski vacations with them and others. And just hanging out and chatting with him was a true pleasure. You will be missed my friend.
I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Leo I will always remember the time with leo and the family when we were kids .My condolence to the family. My thoughts and prayers.
I was shocked today when I received a secure email from United Healthcare that Leo Valla had passed away. I never met Leo in person, but we had many great conversations on the phone. My office contacted Leo when he was turning 65 and going on Medicare, and I became his health insurance agent. Some people are difficult to remember, while other are impossible to forget. Leo was that person that was impossible to forget. Often time our conversations would veer off insurance and onto life. I will miss his stories. I see that Leo touched the lives of many. I hope that these memories will offer comfort to his family during their time of loss. My heartfelt condolences to the family.