Dana A. Leavitt, 73, of Kirby passed away Sunday, June 21, 2015 with family at his side after an extended period of illness. He was born and raised in St. Johnsbury and was the only child born to Dudley and Edith ( Martell) Leavitt. Both his parents had predeceased him. He graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy with the class of 1960. Dana joined the United States Navy in 1960 and served his country at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was retail store manager with Ames Dept. Stores, had a landscape business for several years, loved skiing so he qualified for the National Ski Patrol for a few years and was a deputy sheriff for Caledonia County for many years. He was also a licensed professional outdoor guide and his las business endeavor was creating wood crafts in his wood working shop which included distinctive walking sticks. One of his best accomplishments was his end-to-end hike of the Appalachian Trail. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, reading and loved being outdoors whenever he could. He is survived by his life partner Karen Moore of Kirby (PO Box 212, Lyndon VT 05849); their daughter, Heather Leavitt and fiance Samuel Carbon of Watford City, North Dakota; her mother Alice Moore of Lyndonville; her brother Leslie C. Moore of Newtown, Pennsylvania; her sister Connie Beliveau of South Burlington, Vermont; Donald Showalter of Kirby who was like a brother to him; and many extended family members. Predeceased by his second wife Shirley, he is also survived by her four children: Timothy Peters and wife Leslie of Kirby and their two sons; John Peters of Guilford, New York; Joseph Peters and wife Susan Teske of Lyndonville and her three children; Anne Silverman, and husband Alan of Waverly, Pennsylvania, and their two children. A gathering of friends and family for a Celebration of his life will be held at the Kirby Town Hall located on Town Hall Road in Kirby on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 from 7 to 9 p.m. Dana was proud to have served his country in the Navy during The Cuban Missile Crisis. Seeing wounded young men and women coming home made an impression on him. For those wishing to honor Dana's memory, the family suggests a memorial contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, or to Keeping Track, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife habitat protection, PO Box 444, Huntington, Vermont 05462.