Leon "Sho'ee" Moody

Leon "Sho'ee" Moody died early January 1, 2020, at Haven of Lakeside in Lakeside, Arizona following a lengthy illness.  He was 68 years old.  Leon was born on the "I.D. Ranch" in Whiteriver, Arizona on April 16, 1951, to his parents the late William Bill and Cora (Suttle) Moody.

Leon was the kind of man that you wanted for a friend.  He was an independent thinker who possessed a quick wit and had great sense of humor.  He loved to tell a good joke and was always looking for somebody to tease.  Leon was never one to lose his cool and always gave a pleasant chuckle when others tried to tease him back. 

Though he never had children or grandchildren of his own, he considered his nieces and nephews to be his children and grandchildren.  He loved them all so much.  One way in which he expressed his love to his family was by giving them their own special nicknames. He had one for each member of his family.  As a young man, his parents instilled within him strong Christian values that, in turn, blessed the lives of countless others throughout his life. 

Jennifer Moody is a special niece that he had the privilege to raise as his daughter.  He adored her and she said of Leon that, "No matter what little he had in this life, he freely gave to others and that he would give his last dollar and the shirt right off of his back to anybody in need."  He made his home a safe haven for many others who were seeking shelter from the world; whether it be a warm place with a roof over head or a hot meal, he was always willing to lend a helping hand.

Leon enjoyed being outdoors and looked forward to taking long walks where he could go visit his family and friends.  He looked forward to making regular telephone calls to his family simply to say hi and see how they were doing.  He could always engage them in a good conversation and slip in a joke as he did. 

Leon was a natural-born fighter.  Even staring cancer in the face, he wasn't scared and fought a strong and courageous battle with that ugly disease.  While living at the nursing home the charity that he, so selflessly, gave to others, came back to him by way of the many friends that came to visit him there.  Many of his visitors were people to whom he he gave shelter and fed when they were in need.  Those special visitors were simply returning to him the kindnesses he extended them over the years.

Leon is survived by his "daughter," Jennifer Moody; 3 sisters:  Eliza Valadez, Patricia Begay, Marilyn Thompson; 2 brothers:  Mac Moody, Minor Moody; nieces and nephews that he considered to be like "his" children and, is also survived by many friends.

A one-day wake will begin, 10:00 A.M., Thursday, January 9, 2020, at the Moody Family Home: 3409 East Fork in East Fork (Whiteriver), Arizona.  A "Home" funeral service will begin 1:00 P.M., Friday, January 10, 2020, at the Moody Family Home which will immediately be followed by the graveside service at the Mission Cemetery in East Fork, Arizona. 

The Moody family is appreciative of all the expressions of sympathy that they have received from their community of friends and are especially grateful for all of the prayers offered up on their behalf.