Leland James Mikesell, a longtime resident of Winfield, IL, passed away peacefully at the age of 76 on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, surrounded by his family at home.

Lee was born April 4, 1945 in Melrose Park, IL, to Lawrence and Fern Mikesell. He grew up in Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton Community High School in 1963. He joined the US Air Force shortly thereafter and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan as an aircraft mechanic. There he met his bride-to-be, Kyoko Arakaki. They were married in Okinawa on October 29, 1969 and lived happily together for 51 years. Following the wedding, they moved to Illinois. Lee worked for the Wheaton Police Department as a police officer and then worked for Sid Harvey's warehouse. He then worked for many years as a technician for the US Postal Service before retiring in 2012.

Lee enjoyed woodworking, motorcycles, and travel. He looked forward to regular trips across the country, but particularly loved visiting family in Wisconsin and Japan. He also enjoyed sharing stories of his motorcycle trip across the Western United States. He was a skilled handyman, always ready with a helping hand, a ladder, or a toolbox. Family and friends enjoyed his quick wit and sense of humor. He was hard-working, honest, loving and kind. More than anything, he loved being with his family.

Lee is survived by his wife, Kyoko Mikesell; daughter, Leilani (Gary) Peterson; three grandchildren, Jeremy (Stephany) Peterson, Emily Peterson and Natalie Peterson; and his great-granddaughters, Bella and Adeline. He is also survived by his sister, Rita (Patrick) Wallace and his brother, Charlie (Judy) Mikesell and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Larry Mikesell.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2021 from 11 AM to 1 PM at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main Street, Wheaton, where a funeral service will be held at 1 PM. For those unable to attend the service in person, a livestream will be available through this link: https://youtu.be/jLfFHlxNMiM . Private interment will be held at Forest Hill Cemetery in Glen Ellyn.