Leonidas "Leon" Basdekas

Leonidas “Leon” Basdekas was born on June 14, 1965, in San Antonio, Texas. Leon is survived by his wife, Peggy O’Neil Basdekas, his two children, Neil “Riven” Basdekas and Katina “Katie” Basdekas (Sage Moehring-Miller), his sister Alexandra “Lexy” Basdekas Kessler (Iver Kessler), and his father, Demetrios Basdekas of Kastoria, Greece. He is preceded in death by his mother, Rita Hightower Basdekas of Bryan, Texas.

Before the age of 2, Leon had open heart surgery and learned about resiliency even before he knew what resiliency meant. As he grew, he understood what he had been through and to never take life for granted.

As a child, his family moved from Texas, to Las Vegas, then Pennsylvania before finally settling in Rockville, Maryland where Leon started 1st grade and remained in the area through high school. As a teenager, a summer spent in Texas with his grandparents truly transformed him. It was during that time that the values of the generation before us were instilled in him, especially the importance of integrity and respect. He carried those values with him throughout his entire life and they became part of who he was, in everything he did.

Leon and Peggy met in their undergraduate geology program at the University of Maryland and were married on July 30th, 1989, in Rockville, Maryland. Leon and Peggy began their life together by moving to Flagstaff, Arizona for Peggy to pursue higher education. Leon decided to also go back to school, and graduated with a B.S. in civil engineering. They shared a love of the outdoors and enjoyed countless camping and backpacking trips as well as mountain biking, cross country skiing, and fishing.

Leon and Peggy eventually moved on to Klamath Falls, Oregon for Leon to work for the US Bureau of Reclamation. Their two children, Neil and Katie, were born in Klamath Falls and began camping as infants. Leon enjoyed mountain bike racing and waterfowl hunting with his dog. The family then moved to Logan, Utah for Leon to pursue his doctoral degree in civil engineering, with a focus in water resources, at Utah State University. During this time in Utah, Leon began the family’s famous Yellowstone camping trips that became a yearly tradition every fall. Leon also began restoring, and then racing, his 1965 Mustang. Leon continued to enjoy mountain biking, running, and hunting. After completing his education, the family moved to Davis, California for two years before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado for a job with Colorado Springs Utilities.

While in Colorado Springs, Leon became the president of the Colorado Springs chapter of the Colorado Land Cruiser Club. He also planned yearly adventures with family and friends to explore the American Southwest by Land Cruiser. Leon was always an avid outdoorsman, and the rugged landscapes of Colorado offered endless opportunities for Leon to hunt, fish, hike, and camp. After moving to so many different states, Leon finally found his true home in Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Colorado Springs where he rediscovered the depth and richness of his faith. Leon quickly became a cherished member of the parish and volunteered for the capital campaign for many years.

After the loss of his mother, Rita, Leon and Peggy moved to north Idaho, where Leon worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers, managing waters of the upper Columbia River basin. Leon and Peggy found a new home at Holy Myrrhbearers Antiochian Orthodox Church, where Leon served on the Parish Council for several years. As Leon continued to grow in his Orthodox Christian faith, he began to pursue a Master's Degree in Orthodox Theological Studies. Leon was transformed by his diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer, and his faith in God’s love only became stronger. Leon’s trust in God carried him through the difficulties during his last few months.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado) Building Fund, or the Holy Myrrherbearers Antiochian Orthodox Church (Naples, Idaho) Benevolent Fund.