Leonard Mankus-July 2,1938-May 23, 2026

Leonard "Len" "Lenny" Mankus, age 87, passed away on May 23,2026, surrounded by his wife and loving family. He was born on July 2,1938, in Buyck, Minnesota, the youngest of five children. Len attended the one-room schoolhouse in Buyck during his early years and graduated from Orr High School in 1956.

Born and raised on a farm in Buyck, Len often joked that farming was never his calling. Still, "the farm" became the setting for many treasured family memories through hunting trips and time spent at the shack. In his younger years, he worked for four years at Nelson's Resort on Crane Lake.

Len married Evie in 1958, and together they briefly lived in Hibbing before returning to Orr. There, they joined the Zick family business and operated Wally's Auto for 42 years and later built the North Country Inn. Len and Evie were always looking for ways to contribute to and strengthen the Orr community. Over the years, Len was actively involved with the Chamber of Commerce, Fire Department, Lions Club, City Council, St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Buyck, and Holy Cross Catholic Church in Orr.

An avid fisherman and hunter, Len also snowmobiled in his early years. In their younger days Len and Evie performed in water-ski shows, and during retirement, he took up golf at age 60 and played on a league at the VRT course while back in Minnesota. And above all, Len loved a good polka.

Len was someone who rarely sat still. He was always tinkering, fixing, or improving something and took great pride in maintaining a beautiful garden each year. Although declining health limited some of the activities he loved later in life, he still managed to enjoy golfing.

After retiring in 1995, Len and Evie enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and even took a riverboat trip through Europe. Following Evie's passing from cancer, Len purchased a home in Green Valley, Arizona, to be closer to his niece, Jane Gabrielson. Soon after, he met and married Lucy and they made their home in Arizona until September 2025, when they moved to Virginia, Minnesota.

Len and Lucy spent eight years living in Arizona. When Len and Lucy came home in the summers, they enjoyed celebrating his birthday on July 2nd and the Fourth of July each summer at "the beach". He especially lit up when around the little ones. They made countless friends along the way, enjoyed golfing with the group "Nine and Dine", Len was called the "Straight and Narrow", because he could hit the ball straight down the center of the fairway. They also enjoyed going to plays and out with his niece and Lucy best friend, Jane and other friends. He belonged to a Monday cribbage group and loved playing cribbage with other family members, especially Mark. After returning to Minnesota, he especially looked forward to Mark's weekly walleye dinners,

He was always the optimist! Len had a mischievous sense of humor that stayed with him until the very end and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his first wife of 55 years, Evelyn; his parents-John and Anna; brothers-Stan Gruska, Raymond, Frank, and John Mankus; granddaughter-Deidra Mankus; in-laws- Wally and Katie Zick.

Len is survived by his wife Lucy; daughter Terri (Jerry) Charles; sons John (Susan) Mankus and Mark (Gina) Mankus; grandchildren Lynn, Dave, Myles, Tessa, Danielle, and Dylan; and 13 great-grandchildren. step-daughters: Diana Mattila (Paul), Debra Lynn, Donna Clapp (Tim), and step-son Robert Steffes (Michelle); eight step-grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren, with another one on the way.

Leonard's life will be celebrated at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Orr, MN., on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 11:00am. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.  Len will be buried at the Leiding Cemetery in Orr following the service. The family would like to invite everyone for lunch immediately following the burial at Edgewood Virginia in the Great Room 705 17th St. N, Virginia, MN 55792. In lieu of flowers, Len wanted donations to go to the Marquette Catholic School in Virginia, MN.