Leonard Ariail Auton

Leonard Auton Sr. died Thursday, May 21, at Hospice Atlanta. A celebration of life will be held at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, Decatur, on Friday, May 29 at 1 p.m. with a reception to follow. He was preceded in death by Marilyn, his wife of 60 years.
He is survived by his sons Leonard Jr. and Gary and his daughter Marshalyn Michelotti and their spouses, Jenny, Julie and Robert, respectively; grandsons Andrew, Jonathan and Bryan Auton and Chase Michelotti; granddaughters Ashley Merton and Victoria Michelotti; and six great grandchildren.
Leonard was born October 27, 1922 in Newberry, S.C., to Henry and Bertha Ariail Auton. His parents worked in the local cotton mill where Leonard also worked while attending Newberry College, where he graduated with honors in 1944. During WWII he joined the Naval Reserves and was sent to Officer's Candidate School at Notre Dame. He was deployed to the Pacific Theater and landed on Kobe Beach just after Hiroshima. He played on the Newberry College V-12 baseball team and in 2005 he and the rest of the Naval Reserve team were awarded letter sweaters in a celebration honoring the men and their contribution to the war. He went to work for Southern Bell Telephone Company (now ATandT) in Charlotte, N.C., where he met his future wife Marilyn. They married Jan 13, 1951 and subsequently had three children. He went to work in Asheville, N.C. and then Atlanta, where he retired with ATandT as Assistant Treasurer in 1986.
Leonard and Marilyn were passionate ballroom dancers, and for many years he was an avid golfer. A dedicated member of Oak Grove UMC, he was a lay minister, serving on numerous committees and holding various offices. In addition, he was a Stephen Minister, a volunteer for the Salvation Army and for many years a Sunday School teacher for both the Seekers' and Graydon classes.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oak Grove UMC missions or music program, or the P.S.P./Parkinson's Society.


Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033