Leo Eugene Blais

Leo Eugene Blais passed away on March 24th, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona from complications associated with emphysema. He was 73 years old. This obituary was written on what would’ve been his 74th birthday, April 4th, 2026. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Susan (Sue); his two children, Joshua and Janessa; their spouses, Stephanie and Greg; his five grandchildren, Jacob, Jason, Stryder, Saber, and Sypher, and his cat, Babygirl.

Leo was born in 1952 in Nashua, New Hampshire to Denise Gauthier and Frederick Blais. The youngest of five brothers, he grew up and spent most of his early adult life in New Hampshire. Leo enlisted in the United States Army in March 1971 and was discharged in January 1975. During that time, he served in Vietnam for seven months. He married the love of his life, Sue Dwyer, in 1973. Joshua was born in 1975 and Janessa in 1979.

Leo and his family moved across the country and made Arizona home in the summer of 1985. He worked as a machinist at the aerospace and defense manufacturer, Raytheon. Leo and Sue continued to raise their two kids into adulthood in southwest Tucson. The whole family has fond memories of weekends in the pool at the house off Draper Road.

While Leo called the Sonoran Desert home for more than twenty years, you couldn’t keep the man away from lush, forested mountains. The family took many trips to Arizona’s White Mountains. Fishing, hunting, and hanging around the campfire with family and friends were some of his favorite ways to spend time off. Eventually, Leo built a cabin for he and Sue to move into. He bought roughly two acres of land in the scenic and quaint community of Nutrioso and began building the cabin with a friend in 2006. After a few years of construction, and back and forth between Tucson and Nutrioso, Leo and Sue officially moved to the mountains in 2009.

Second to family, the cabin was Leo’s pride and joy. Although he made his living as a machinist, Leo was a phenomenal carpenter, and the cabin exemplified that. Leo’s attention to detail and value for simplicity made the cabin sleek and efficient. Not showy but integrated with the forest. The cozy interior made it the perfect place to share a large family meal, which Leo usually prepared. Cooking and baking for visitors was one of his favorite pastimes at the cabin. He would often share treats with their delivery drivers as an appreciation gesture for them making the long drive out.

Leo loved to experiment and stay busy. He and Sue took up gardening. Fresh produce was a common lunch at the cabin. For many, one cabin is enough, but not for Leo. He built a second cabin on the property for his grandchildren to stay in during their visits. At the end of a long day, you would find Leo and Sue sitting on the porch watching the sunset, listening to the animals, and enjoying a cold beverage. We will all cherish witnessing those moments.

In the spring of 2025, Leo and Sue sold their cabin and moved back to Tucson where it was easier on Leo’s lungs and some family is still residing. He is deeply missed by many. The family plans to organize a service to remember Leo in the summer or fall of 2026 at the Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery at Marana; details will be forthcoming.