Leonard Byrne

Leonard J. "Lenny" Byrne, 66, of La Crosse, passed away on Friday, March 6, 2015, in Coral Springs, Fla.

He was born in Rochester, Minn., on November 26, 1948, to Lawrence and Pauline (Schmidt) Byrne. He spent most of his childhood in Rochester before moving to Minneapolis. It was there that he later met his wife, the former Linda Hanus, whom he married on May 26, 1973, in Bannister, Mich.

Lenny worked for the Soo Line and Canadian Pacific Railroads for 44 years. He was stationed out of Burlington, Wis., and Stevens Point, Wis., before moving to La Crosse in 1990. He retired in 2011. In his free time, Lenny enjoyed building electronic equipment as a hobby.

Lenny is survived by Linda, his beloved wife of 41 years; two children, Hannah (Francisco) Rincon of Coral Springs, Fla., and Jeremy (Angie) Byrne of Lake Villa, Ill.; three grandchildren, Mateo Rincon, and Colin and Emily Byrne; a brother-in-law, Michael Malwitz of Branson, Mo.; and a niece and nephew, Jennifer (Paulino Ponce) Malwitz-Ponce of Chicago and Christian Malwitz of Overland Park, Kan. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Pauline, and his sister, Mary Malwitz.

A Graveside Service will take place in the Ford Cemetery, Gratiot County, MI., on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 11:00 A.M.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, March 12, 2015 La Crosse, WI. Online condolences may be made to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com

Read Leonard Byrne's Obituary and Guestbook on smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com.