Leon A. Parsons
March 2, 1959 ~ May 5, 2025
Born in: Lowell, MA
Resided in: Hollis, ME
Leon Albert Parsons III, 66, of Hollis, Maine, passed away at The Gosnell Hospice House on May 5, 2025 after a long, painful, and courageous battle with lung cancer. Leon’s message to all, “Please, Quit Smoking.”
Born on March 2, 1959, in Lowell, Massachusetts to Marilyn (Carleton) and Leon A. Parsons Jr, his parents taught him the value of family and how important family is. Leon was the oldest of seven and proudly carried the name of his father and grandfather before him. Known to many simply as “Muscler,” Leon was a larger-than-life presence—strong and loyal, always ready to lend a hand, even if he grumbled about it. He never said no when someone needed help, regardless of who asked and, in that way, he became “everybody’s mechanic.”
Leon grew up in Massachusetts but moved to Maine in his youth with his family, a decision sparked by his rebellious spirit and need for a fresh start. From a young age, he was under the hood of a car with his Uncle Ernie learning the ins and outs of engines long before he had a driver’s license. It was in Maine that he met the love of his life, Brenda (Bolduc), in a moment that feels like legend: fixing up her car just to irritate her ex-boyfriend. That spark turned into nearly 48 years of marriage, a bond marked by fierce loyalty, laughter and countless memories shared in garages, campgrounds, racetracks, flea markets and on road trips.
Leon and Brenda had one son, Leon A Parsons IV. From the very beginning, Leon III was a stern but loving father. He believed in doing things right the first time and held his son to high standards—always with kindness and a listening ear. As the years went on, the father-son bond deepened, evolving into a friendship rooted in mutual respect and love.
Leon was passionate about drag racing, antique cars and American history. His favorite car, his Olympic Gold 1969 Corvair, earned him a special place in the Corvair Society of America. He spent many proud days attending car auctions, where he relished being on the floor, presenting and selling the prized vehicles that he restored. He was also a fixture at flea markets with his brother-in-law David Bolduc, and his buddies, Kenny Mcleod, and Wayne Potvin—still working on cars with David and Kenny right up until his diagnosis.
Whether snowmobiling, camping, or hitting the trails on a 3-wheeler, Leon loved the outdoors. Every year brought new adventures and family vacations—often copiloted by his son and navigated by hand-drawn “Trip-Tik” maps from AAA, as he was famously bad with directions.
Leon was predeceased by his parents, Marilyn and Leon; sister, Alane Grant; one nephew, Todd Hebert; his beloved dog, Brady; and his Godparents: Aunt Leslie Sheehan and Uncle Ernie Johnson (Carole). He is survived by his wife Brenda; son Leon IV and son-in-law Ben; Brother-in-law David Bolduc (Linda) and sister-in-law Fran LaRiviere (Jean), siblings Natalie Hebert, Laura Dowling (George Edwards), Lisa Winkley (Brian), Lance Parsons (Erica Letourneau), and Leslie Boisvert (Joshua), and Tim Grant; fifteen nieces and nephews; ten grand-nephews and three grandnieces; his Aunt Judi Cunniff, Uncle Tom Cunniff, Uncle Bob Sheehan and many cousins; his dog, Kota, who always faithfully sat by his side. Leon’s family would like to thank Scott and Dot Shuman for always being there helping and for their kindness, care and compassion over the years. We were so blessed to have them to love us. We would like to thank everyone that helped us in getting Leon to his doctor’s appointments and treatments. We would like to thank Cindy McNally for the special friendship that she shared with Leon. He loved her so much. Leon’s family is also deeply appreciative of the ever-so-kind and competent caregivers at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House.
In the last six months of his life, Leon’s family came together more closely than ever, particularly strengthening his bond with his brother Lance. He loved talking with his sisters. Leon’s unwavering presence, sense of humor, and deep love for his family will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. Leon, we will miss you So Much. You were a good father, husband, brother and friend. May God keep us strong and wipe away our tears as we navigate life without you.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the family or to the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House
A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, May 10th at the Conroy Tully Walker Funeral Home of South Portland, 1024 Broadway with a Celebration of Life to follow at People’s Choice Credit Union, 23 Industrial Park Road, Saco.
Services
Funeral Service: Saturday, May 10, 2025 2:00 pm
Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home of South Portland
1024 Broadway
South Portland, Maine 04106
Add to My Calendar
America/New_York
2025-05-10 14:00:00
2025-05-10 14:00:00
LeonA.ParsonsFuneral Service
Funeral Service
1024 Broadway,South Portland, Maine 04106
Celebration of Life: Saturday, May 10, 2025 3:00 pm
People's Choice Credit Union
23 Industrial Park Rd.
Saco, Maine
Add to My Calendar
America/New_York
2025-05-10 15:00:00
2025-05-10 15:00:00
LeonA.ParsonsCelebration of Life
Celebration of Life
23 Industrial Park Rd.,Saco, Maine
View current weather.
Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Leon A. Parsons 's name.
Parsons Family Fund
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
Sheri
Thinking of you. Here if you need a friend.
While I never met Leon, I know the wonderful son he helped raise, and the stories Lee shared. (Your “Trip-Tik” anecdote – I can picture the scene clearly with a chuckle.) It’s obvious his presence is a space that will never be filled.
I applaud you for your attentive and dedicated care of Leon, especially towards the end. You are both in my thoughts.
Love,
Sarah, friend of Lee
Sorry for your loss, Leon was a great guy and we will miss him.
At some point in her youth, I am pretty sure that Brenda Bolduc asked God to bring to her a man who would be her best partner. He would be a good, trustworthy man who would love her truly, work with her to set a solid anchor for the family they would build and be a good, loving father and provider. I am also pretty sure the God said, “This is Brenda Bolduc asking. I’d better not screw this up.” Then God found the perfect fit but had to figure out how to get him to move from Massachusetts to Maine. Then he thought, “I’m God, I can do this. Especially for Brenda and Leon.” I can tell you that God hit it out of the park on that one.
I met Leon the first time when he was helping a neighbor in need. Their neighbors, Norman and Donna, were the previous owners of the home across the way that we now live in. We later bought it because it happens to be right next door to the home of our daughter and granddaughter.
There was a heavy snowstorm and I had come to clear snow for our daughter. While there, I saw Norman next door, trying to fight through the snow bank at the end of his driveway to get to his house. Norman, whom I later found out had serious knee problems, wasn’t making much progress so I tried to help him get unstuck. Then came Leon, busting his way through the snow on his father’s old John Deere tractor (which he loved) to help his neighbor and friend. He cleared a path and helped Norman into his house. Afterward, he told me that Norman’s wife, Donna, had been in a head-on collision the night before and was badly injured. Norman had been with her at the hospital all night. Leon had been watching out for his neighbor’s return.
It was more than a year later when we bought that house and became the new neighbor across the way. I remember that spring, with Leon working in his yard, that I crossed the road to reintroduce myself and say hello. After what I thought would be a brief chat, almost an hour had gone by during which, I think, we both innately knew we would become not only good neighbors but good friends.
Dot and I learned so many things from and about Leon in the unexpectedly short time we had together. He was fiercely dedicated to his family and friends. That also is to include his love for his furry family members Brady and Kota. He was never one to take his commitments to anything lightly. I recently told his son Lee that I found his Dad to be one of the most refreshingly frank people I’ve ever met. If you wanted a direct response from Leon on any topic, you need only ask him. Sometimes you didn’t even need to ask. He certainly put the “color” in the term colorful language. While he was being “colorful”, he was the most dedicated and selfless friend you could ever have. His knowledge of mechanics and automobiles, both classic and new, was amazingly encyclopedic. I’m absolutely sure that he could tell you the size of the bolts that held the rear bumper on a 1966 Chevy Impala AND he could also tell you how many of those Impalas were made and in what colors. And that would have been an easy question for him.
This has gotten a bit long but only in the desire to memorialize our friend in a way he truly deserves. To say that he will be missed does not say it well at all.
Scott & Dot