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Y! MyWebWarren County
With community service and work, Leasures enjoy 'golden years'
Thursday, September 20, 2007
LEBANON — George and Mary Alice Leasure have spent decades in service to the city of Lebanon. They say it's their way of giving back to the city that has provided them a wonderful place to live and a place to build their successful business, Ghent Manufacturing.
George, 75, still oversees operations of Ghent, and maintains a busy work schedule from his corner office at the company's headquarters on Henkle Drive. When asked why he still is working nearly 10 years after most folks retire, it is Mary Alice, 73, who has the answer.
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George and Mary Alice Leasure of Lebanon have no plans to slow down in their 'golden years.'"He isn't allowed to retire!" she laughs. She intimates that if George weren't working, he could end up underfoot at home with her. But talking to this active couple makes one wonder how often they are home.
The Leasures' lives are woven into the fabric of the city of Lebanon; one cannot be removed from the other. Nearly every major private or public institution in Lebanon has seen George or Mary Alice play a key role. He is on the board of directors for Lebanon Citizen National Bank. She is the chairwoman of the city's board of festivals and tourism. He served on city council in the 1970s and filled a vacancy in 2005. She was president of the Lebanon Garden Club and the Garden Club Council, "but I'm just treasurer now," she says.
Members of the Countryside YMCA know that George is also physically active. He can regularly been seen there or on the area's bike trails working out when he is not acting as board member and trustee of the facility.
Why keep up such a breakneck schedule during what are supposed to be the "golden years?" The couple say its because they have been given so much in this life.
"Service. It is important. It's about giving back," George says. "Our mission in our company is to be of service to our community and our employees." And not only in business, but in their day-to-day lives.
The couple met at Miami University and kept up their relationship after George graduated in 1954 and went on to Case Western to earn his master's degree in sociology. Mary Alice graduated two years later with a degree in business. Looking back, it seems ironic that he ended up building a successful business with a sociology degree while she raised the couple's children with a business degree. But Mary Alice says that it was an ideal situation.
"I felt like we each knew what the other was going through," she says.
George has no immediate plans to retire, but working out the details of the "plan for succession" seems to have taken care of itself. Three generations of Leasures are currently active in the company. Son G. Mark Leasure is executive vice-president, wife Christye is an industrial engineer and son-in-law Scott Bowers is director of research and merchandising. Even grandson Jeremy is working in production.
The Leasures don't forget to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The couple tries to take one vacation a year and travel the world. This year was a boat trip down the Amazon. Other vacations have been to Egypt, China, Russia and the Greek Islands.
If the time did come to hand over the reins of the business, what would the couple do with their time?
"Well, we haven't been to Australia yet," he said, smiling.
