Leslie Jasper (Les) Mace, who passed away on May 4, 2026, was born on May 30, 1935, to Theodore Roosevelt Mace and Eula Robertson Mace in Pacific Grove, California. His parents moved to Torrance, California, when he was 3 years old where his dad owned a Texaco service station with a hand operated gasoline pump. When Les was 7 years old, he learned to pump gasoline when his dad offered to pay him a penny a gallon to pump the gasoline. He pumped 100 gallons and earned his first dollar. This commitment to hard work continued throughout his life.

His family moved to Springfield, Missouri when he was 10 years old. Their first Sunday in Springfield, his dad told them that they were going to First Baptist Church. They did and when Les was 12 years old, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He has served the Lord faithfully through the years, chairing and serving on most of the church committees, including service as chairman of deacons. He was a member of this church for almost 80 years.

Les attended Rountree Elementary School, Jarrett Junior High, and Central High School graduating in 1954. He became a Cub Scout in California and continued in Scouting in Springfield, where he became an Eagle Scout. He later served as a scoutmaster. His scouting legacy continued through his son and two grandsons who became Eagle Scouts, and his granddaughter who received the Gold Award in Girl Scouts.

He attended Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU), graduating in 1959, with a degree in Industrial Technology and a minor in Business. During his first semester at SMSU, he met Virginia Dunaway as they both attended noonday devotions and ate lunch at the Baptist Student Center. They began dating and the courtship continued until they were married on May 26, 1956. Their wedding was held in the home of Virginia’s parents with Les’ first cousin, Reverend James Robertson, officiating. They have had 70 years of loving and caring for each other.

His first position after college was with Allgeier-Martin Engineering in Joplin, Missouri where he designed electrical substations. He frequently pointed out substations around Southwest Missouri that he designed. During his time in Joplin, he was ordained as a deacon in his church and became a 32nd degree Mason.

Les and Virginia, with their young family, returned to Springfield in 1962 where he worked in his dad’s business. In 1967, Les became the project engineer for Eagle Picher Industries first in Joplin, Missouri and then in Socorro, New Mexico.

In 1970, Les bought his dad’s business and the family returned to Springfield to operate the business until 1990. After that business closed, he bought and sold various businesses. He later founded YeloIron Appraisals and Auctions. He continued this work until he closed YeloIron at the age of 90 in March of 2026.

Les was invited to attend a Kiwanis meeting in 1970. He joined and later became president of the Kiwanis Club of Springfield South. He was elected governor of the Missouri-Arkansas Kiwanis District, serving from 1981-1982. He chaired numerous Kiwanis International committees. Recently, he chaired a project to build an adaptive playground at Fellows Lake which is fully accessible for children with various disabilities. This playground project won a top award from Kiwanis International in 2026.

In 2018, he wrote his first book, Les’ Tall-Tales with stories and pictures of his life experiences. He served as editor and lead author of History of Missouri-Arkansas District of Kiwanis, 1919-2023. He wrote a cookbook containing the recipes he enjoyed preparing and eating. His final book was about Route 66, titled Les’ Highway 66 Tales. He finished editing and publishing this book during the last two weeks of his life as he was receiving care in the hospital.

Through all of these experiences, he remained a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Les loved and cherished his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Virginia, and two very dear children: Steve Mace (Debbie) and Susan Mace Weeks (David). Also surviving are four special grandchildren: Andy Mace (Emily), Ashley Krueger (Kaleb), Alex Mace (Zanny) and Matthew Weeks (Sara). His great grandchildren were the delight of his later years: Harper and Nolan Krueger, Georgia and Surrey Mace, and Ava and Leo Weeks.

His legacy of love, hard work, and caring for others will live on in the family he loved and the many lives he touched. To borrow a quote: Heartache is heavy – the price of enduring love.

A celebration of life for Leslie J. Mace will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, with a visitation beginning at 9:30 AM and service will follow at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church, 525 South Avenue, Springfield, MO 65806. Burial will follow in Willow Springs Cemetery around 3:00 PM, under the care of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Memorial gifts may be made to First Baptist Church Foundation of Springfield.