Tom B. Jr. Leahy
September 13, 1922 ~ June 18, 2010
Leahy, Tom B. Jr., beloved husband, father and grandpa. Also known as “Major Astro”, or “The Host” of local TV/Radio and WWII veteran passed away Friday, June 18, 2010. Rosary is 7:00 pm Tuesday and Funeral Mass is 10:00 am Wednesday both at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Tom was born September 13, 1922 in Pawhuska, OK. Preceded in death by first wife Billye Leahy, son; Tommy B. Leahy and parents; Thomas B. and Marcelle Leahy. Survivors include wife Wilma, children; Lisa (David) Navarro of Wichita, Rodney (Wendy) Mumaw of Mansfield, TX, Ryan Edward Leahy of Wichita, grandchildren; Hayley Mumaw, Zane Navarro, Kiegan Mumaw, Emma Navarro, Mykal Mumaw, cousin; Pat (Ed) Carr of Phoenix, AZ. Memorials have been established with Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, 8101 W. Central, Wichita, KS 67212 and The Lords Diner, 520 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67214. Downing and Lahey West Mortuary.
Rosary is 7:00 pm Tuesday at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
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To: Lisa and Family~ I am sorry to hear of the passing of your father, grandfather, cousin, husband and friend. I am sure he will be missed. Hold steadfast to faith that we will be united with our Lord and loved ones in Heaven. My condolences to you all. Sincerely, Elaine Engel
I am one of the many who grew up watching Major Astro. It was a special part of my day. I spoke with him at Dillon’s (13th and Tyler) a couple of times over the last few years and shared my gratefulness for his shows. It was a pleasure to meet and speak with him! God bless you all. I pray you will find comfort in knowing Jesus is with you, always.
Dear Leahy family, As children we were all blessed by Tom’s talent and spirit everyday when we came home from school. We always felt like he was talking right to us and cared about each and every one of us. Over the years, in his various guises, he brought happiness, positivity and just plain fun to the lives of so many in this community. We were so lucky to have him here. His memory will live on in our hearts and the hearts of countless others. ‘God-speed Major Astro!’ ‘God-speed Tom!’ The Sherman family- Mary, Ruth, Susan, Ken and Tom.
I fondly remember Major Astro after all these years and how his infectious enthusiasm for space, exploration, change and new things to come have affected my life so positively. I wish him ‘Godspeed’ and All Systems are Go!
I am so sorry for your loss. I grew up watching Major Astro but my fondest memory is watching him as the host. My dad and I would stay up, just the two of us, and watch him and his scary movies. My dad passed away 5 years ago and I can still picture us sitting in the floor with graham cracker cookies and milk watching the Host and Rodney. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with my dad and me.
I joined thousands of other Wichita kids every afternoon in the 60s watching Major Astro and wearing my secret decoder ring. As a cameraman at KARD-TV in the 70s, one of my favorite memories is finding old set pieces from the Major Astro show in storage, even playing as a young adult with the old space scope (no cartoons ever appeared, however!). For the past 20 years I have been on-air for a few days each Fall in support of a local radio station and my co-host and I always spend time at some point talking about our memories of Wichita TV in the 50s and 60s. Major Astro has always been, and will continue to be, the biggest part of that on-air discussion. As many others have said: Happy orbits Major!
I remember going to the Major’s studio with my cub scout troop. We received some pretty neat space stuff and got to meet Major Astro….which we all thought was awesome…The Major will always be a legacy in the Wichita TV stations history. I doubt there is a single baby boomer that did not watch his show after grade school. Godspeed Major and here is hoping God lets you see the Universe in its beauty
Losing Major Astro is like losing a member of your own family. I met him at a local department store in Dodge City when he went on tour, probably mid 60’s. Gave me his autograph and I looked today until I found it so I could show it to my 9 yr old daughter. I wish she had that type of entertainment to watch today. God bless you and your family, Major!
I was cameraman at channel 3 from 1966 to 1970. I had the pleasure of working for the Maj. on a number of Major Astro Shows and tapings of Rodney and the Host. What great fun it was. Tom was the driving force for both shows. With a limited budget he not only wrote the story line but, designed, built and painted all of the sets, models and props used on both shows. It was an era of local television that that was made possible by Tom Leahy. And I was lucky to be a part of it. God speed Major.
Godspeed Tom, and thank you for the wonderful, wonderful Wichita TV memories. “The Host and Rodney” and “Major Astro” Unforgettable.
Rest Tom, until you hear at dawn, the low, clear reveille of God.
Thank you for your service to this nation. U.S. Army, WWII.