Leroy Clarence Granlund

It is with immense sorrow that we announce the passing of an amazing father, inventor, and radio broadcast engineer.  Lee's sun set on 12/20/2020 at Casa Coloma Health Care Center, in Rancho Cordova, CA, after losing his battle to recover from a recent fall and post-surgery complications. 

Lee was the first-born son to Melvin and Blanche Granlund, and grew up in, Riverside, Illinois, along with his sister Catherine and brother Freddy.  His uncle owned a local appliance store, and, as a boy, he became fascinated with radio and broadcast technology.  As a young man, he was drafted into the army and became a radio communications expert.  While stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma WA, Lee met and married the love of his life, Charleen Jeanette Preston, on March 2nd, 1958.  After working for NBC in Chicago, he took his engineering knowledge, along with the beginnings of a new family, to California, where he founded Western Broadcast Services, Inc.  Lee's entrepreneurial spirit and his innovative patents for antenna design, propelled WBS to a worldwide success, Many of Lee's lateral design antennas are still in use today, because of their superior broadcast patterns.  The success and growth of WBS also coincided with the growth of the Granlund family, in what can only be described as XXL - both in number of family members and in the huge amount of love they share for each other.  At the time of his passing, Lee was survived by his wife Char, his 6 sons, Kevin, Brian, Steve, Ray, Mike and David, and his 6 daughters, Lisa, Brenda, Michelle, Kathy, Laura, and Jessica.  He was preceded in death by his sister Cathy Houghton of Costa Mesa, his son, Jeffrey, and his daughter, Susan.  Lee also enjoyed the love and light of his many grandchildren.  He will be dearly missed.  God bless and keep him. 

A private service will be held on December 30th, 11:00 AM, at his final resting place. 

Newcastle Cemetery, 

850 Taylor Road, 

Newcastle, CA 95658 

The family is planning to hold a memorial and celebration of his life at a future date. 

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