Leo Fisher Denton, Sr., lived until two days short of his 95th birthday. He died on Tuesday, July 29.
On Friday, his family and friends would have held a quiet birthday celebration. Instead, they will have a visitation from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a Rosary at 6:30. It will be at Pine Crest Funeral Home in Mobile.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mobile.
He died peacefully at his home in Washington County's Deer Park with family.
He was a brother of the late Jeremiah Denton, Jr., Rear Admiral and former U.S. Senator. Leo and family had prayed for nearly eight years during brother Jeremiah’s captivity as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. Their prayers were finally answered when Jeremiah was released and announced to the world: “God bless America.”
Leo and family were blessed for 50 years with his saintly wife, Mignon, who died in 2005. He then lived 20 years without her.
Leo was a lifetime member of St. Mary's Parish, where he served on the Parish Council and as Chair of the Peace and Justice Committee and a member of the Charismatic Prayer Group.
Being a good Mobile Catholic boy, Leo produced six children, 20 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren so far.
Leo’s life was abundantly blessed by many friends who cherished his friendship, wisdom, faith and joyful peace.
Throughout his life, until the last hours of his life, Leo was mentally and physically active. He loved tennis, golf, water aerobics and being outside in nature.
He was a Navy veteran who served from 1951 to 1954. He was a person of faith, optimism, laughter, compassion and peace. Leo also wrote a beautiful faith-based book entitled “From Grandy With Love.”
The family requests donations be made to Catholic Charities, Carmelite Monastery of Mobile, or the Love All Pantry in Mobile.
Leo helped lead the christening of the destroyer USS Jeremiah Denton on July 28, 2025.
Here is the August 1 testimonial of Brett Seidle, PTDO Under Secretary of the Navy, who was at the christening and was impacted by Leo Denton:
I was sad to see the news of Uncle Leo's passing this morning, but then had an immediate reaction of how happy I was to get to greet him and the entire Denton family at the Christening of the USS Jeremiah Denton.
Uncle Leo had a way of making an impact on people and he certainly did that to me in one short weekend on the Gulf Coast. I was surprised by the strength of the connection and what I felt when reading this today, but that's a testament to the type of person Leo was.
What a vibrant human being that will be missed by many, and to think of the legacy that he too has left behind makes me smile broadly today. Will be keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers and hope our paths cross again someday. __Sincerely, Brett Seidle PTDO Under Secretary of the Navy
God Bless America.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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