Leonard Shults, USAF
December 07, 1934 – May 10, 2025

Reverend Leonard Shults

Rev. Shults was born in Charlotte, Michigan on December 7, 1934, to Lois (Harsch) and Hazen Shults. He grew up in Charlotte, attended public schools, and graduated in 1954. Rev. Shults joined the US Navy Reserves in 1952 and went on Active Duty in 1954. He served aboard the USS Iowa for two months, then transferred to the USS Northampton, a new Communications/Command ship. This ship eventually became the Command Ship for the President of the United States and the cabinet.

After being discharged from the Navy in 1956, he attended radio broadcasting school in Washington, DC and worked at several radio and television stations in the DC area. After his mother fell ill, he decided to move back home to Charlotte, Michigan. It was there that he met Gayle Lambkin – with some pressure from his father, he escorted her to a Job’s Daughter conference.

In 1958, he entered the US Air Force as a Crash/Fire/Rescue Technician. He was stationed at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina. That same year, he married Gayle Lambkin in her hometown of Muskegon, Michigan. They returned to Charleston and were blessed with a daughter.

In 1960, Rev. Shults was transferred to Formosa, Republic of China, to be the Fire Chief of the Shu Lin Ku Air Station. His wife and daughter were unable to travel or live there with him, so they returned to Muskegon and lived with her parents while Rev. Shults served his two years.

While at Shu Lin Ku, Rev. Shults became involved with the base chapel. When the chaplain had to unexpectedly return to the US, the wing chaplain encouraged Leonard to become the leader of the Sunday services and pursue his License to Preach. He was then transferred to Montgomery, where he served in the Base Fire Department.

In 1965, he was told he was going to be transferred to Japan. With a young family and a quickly approaching discharge date, he decided to leave the Air Force and enter the ministry. He attended Troy State University, and Emory Candler School of Theology. He was a dedicated minister and member of the United Methodist Church until his retirement in 1997 – a total of 32 years in active ministry.

Rev. Shults lived his final years at Wesley Gardens Assisted Living, alongside his devoted wife and many close friends. Rev. Shults was a beloved member of our community and will be greatly missed by staff and residents alike.

Leonard Shults is survived by his wife, Gayle Shults, and children Debra Shults Andrews, Katherine Shults Whitehurst, and David Shults. They have seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

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Leonard Shults served in the U. S. Air Force as a HH-43B Airborne Firefighter.