Leeman "Lee" Braford

Leeman Braford -- BourbonnaisVisitation for Leeman R. "Lee" Braford of Bourbonnais, will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, west Kankakee, with a 5 p.m. wake service. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at Maternity BVM Catholic Church, Bourbonnais. Father Richard Pighini will officiate.Burial will be in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood. Memorials may be made to Provena St. Mary's Hospital Foundation or to the University of Chicago. He died Monday (Jan. 1, 2007) at the University of Chicago, Bernard Mitchell Hospital.Mr. Braford was a medical laboratory surveyor for the Illinois Department of Public Health, retiring after 20 years of service. He was a former laboratory director at Provena St. Mary's Hospital. He was also a licensed insurance and real estate broker. He was born in Chicago, the son of Leeman R. and Gertrude Kennedy Braford. He received a bachelor of science degree from Olivet Nazarene University; a master of science degree in pathology from the University of Illinois; and a master's in health care from Governors State University. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He attended Maternity BVM Catholic Church. He was a member of the Moose, the VFW, and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. He was treasurer of the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival for eight years. He was devoted to caring for the homeless and enjoyed traveling throughout the world. He was a licensed pilot.Surviving are his wife, the former Carol J. Morgan, whom he married Dec. 25, 1973, in Kankakee; two sons and daughters-in-law, Brad and Melissa Braford of Washington D.C., Bret and Betty Jo Braford of Portland, Ore.; three grandchildren, Jason Braford, Courtney Kent (Stephen), and Lauren Braford; one great-granddaughter, Catherine Kent; one sister, Rachel Pezanoski of Racine, Wis.; one brother and sister-in-law, Richard and June Braford of Menominee, Wis.; one sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Mary Jo and Gary Schrock of Galesburg; one brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Mark and Alisa Morgan of Bourbonnais; mother-in-law, Kathryn Morgan of Clifton; and several nieces and nephews.Deceased are his parents; father-in-law, John Morgan; and brother-in-law, Terry Morgan.

Leeman "Lee" Braford

January 1, 2007