Leslie "Joe" Menzies High School Graduation

Leslie Clark Menzies, R.Ph, was born in 1954 in Broward County Florida to Mary Margaret Clark Menzies and Paul Thomas Menzies, MD. fifteen months after his older brother Bill was born. This was to be the entire family. Joe, as he would come to be called, lived in Florida until he was almost nine years old when the family moved to North Carolina for one year. Then we moved to Parkersburg, WV to be closer to his maternal grandparents Fred and Lelia Clark. His parents were divorced by then and our mother wanted her boys in a better environment.

That better environment included Scouting. Joe and his brother Bill joined BSA Troop 4 whose Scoutmaster was Sella Board. Scouting brought closer our friends Donza and Steve Worden and many others. Under Sella Board we became Eagle Scouts and were much better prepared for the life ahead. Scouting changed all of our lives for the better, not just Joe's life. Joe finished Grade School, Junior High School and High School in Parkersburg and attended Parkersburg Community College which is now West Virginia University.

Joe continued his education at WVU becoming a Pharmacist. He and Donza spent some good times there while Donza was attending Medical School there, becoming best of friends. After Joe finished school he practiced Pharmacy in Parkersburg and surrounding areas. Finding limited career opportunities there he moved back to Broward County Florida where he worked steadily in Retail and Hospital Pharmacy, met and married his second wife, and pursued the hobby of racing cars. Scouting teaches values and self reliance. Joe was his own mechanic and enjoyed racing.

When Joe died suddenly at the age of 38 we were all in painful disbelief. Everyone who knew him was affected and those closest to him were affected most of all. Donza and my and Joe's mother started the Memorial Fund with the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation in Joe's memory. The Fund supported our Troop 4 originally and after Troop 4 was disbanded now supports West Virginia Scouting at the administrative level to bring the benefits of Scouting to the greatest number of Scouts possible. This is a fitting memorial to my brother. We have Donza and my mother to thank for this. I think Joe would approve.

In my brother's Memory,

William E. Menzies, RN