Obituary of Scott Matthew Leick

Scott Matthew Leick, 81, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away February 21, 2023. He was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and spent most of his childhood growing up in the midwest including Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska.  Scott finally settled in the small-town farming community of Petersburg, Nebraska, which he ultimately called his hometown. After a life changing move to big-city Los Angeles, he graduated from California High School in Whittier–class of 1960.

Scott is preceded in death by his parents, Bernard Leick and May Elizabeth; his son Scott Leick Jr.; his sister Jeanne, and brother, Brian. He is survived by his sisters, Marjorie Mckinnon (Sedona, Arizona) and Gretchen Pope (Mountain Home, Arkansas); his son Mark Leick (Boston, Massachusetts); his daughter, Heather Leick (Phoenix, Arizona); granddaughter, Dominique Carnes (Phoenix, Arizona); and numerous nieces and nephews. 

He served in the Air Force during Vietnam and, after an honorable discharge, subsequently moved to Tucson and worked in the copper mines for the Bechtel Corporation. Reinventing himself, he became a master landscaper and developed a deep love of the desert flora. Scott specialized in stunning rock formations and relished creating his own intricate artwork from pieces of the desert landscape.

Throughout his life he devoted his voice to bringing happiness to others. He started singing with his beloved sister Marjorie in their high school choir “The Madrigals” and later, in Tucson, built a solo landscaping business aptly named “The Singing Landscaper”. A gifted baritone, Scott developed his own renditions of songs from Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Fiddler on the Roof, and the Sound of Music among many others. He became a Tucson vocal icon anywhere he went including Home Depot, Costco, nursing homes where he volunteered, and many local Catholic churches where he was a longstanding fixture in local and regional choirs. 

Scott loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter, hiker, archer, and tennis player even well into his later years. He was an exceptionally devout Catholic, who, despite his modest means, strongly supported numerous charities, individual priests, and the Catholic church throughout his life.

A lifelong reader, Scott was always surrounded by mountains of books on a myriad of subjects. He instilled a deep love of reading in his son, Mark, who would harness that passion to become a physician. He adored visits by his daughter, Heather, and his granddaughter, Dominique, and saved every single card he ever received from them. His singing instilled a lifelong love of music in them. 

A deeply loving father, brother, neighbor, and friend he will be missed by all.  

A rosary will be the night of Wednesday, March 1st at 7PM at Bring Funeral Home 6910 E. Broadway Blvd. Funeral services will be Thursday, March 2nd at 10:00AM at St. Francis de Sales 1375 S. Camino Seco. Immediately after the funeral the burial service will take place at All Faiths Memorial Park 2151 S. Avenida Los Reyes in the Our Lady of the Desert Section. A luncheon at St. Francis De Sales will take place after the burial service.