Edward Charles Liebler (W8NRE)

Edward Liebler passed away on November 24, 2018. He was born in Brown City, MI, on April 6, 1939. He was the eldest son of Harris and Golda Liebler who predeceased him. He was also predeceased by his wife Connie. He is survived by his children, Dr. Juli Liebler and Edward Jae Liebler, and two grandchildren, Julian and Alex Liebler. Also surviving are his brother, John (Phyllis) Liebler, his sister, Nancy (Bill) Thurston, and several nieces and nephews.

Ed graduated from Brown City High School in 1957. He enrolled at Michigan State University to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine. He earned a BA in 1962 and his DVM in 1964. He moved to Caro, Michigan, where he opened his practice in both large and small animals. In 1980 he entered Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing and earned his JD in 1983. He also completed a Fellowship in a Post-Doctoral Program, “Science, Politics, and Animal Health Policies.” His legal practice consisted mostly of helping other Veterinarians with problems with the Board of Veterinary Medicine.

He was very active in civic events. He joined the Caro Lions Club, where he served on the Board of Directors and later became President. He also served as Zone Chairman and Deputy District Governor. When he moved to Lansing he again served in leadership roles on the Board of Directors and as President. He held a life membership with Lions International and had a Fifty-Year Membership Pin. In Caro he was a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and was also its Chairman. He also was Chairman of a special committee to change from a Village to a City form of government. He also served the Caro Community Schools by helping establish a fundraising connection with school Alumni. In Lansing he served three terms on the Turner-Dodge House Board of Directors.

Ed was interested in many things. While he was in high school he learned the Morse code and went on to get his General Class Amateur Radio License, W8NRE. He had been active in ham radio until the time of his death. He was a member on the Thumb Amateur Radio Club and served as its President. He participated in many “Field Days.” In Lansing he was a member of the Central Michigan Amateur Radio Club and the “Lunch Bunch” group of amateur radio operators. He was also involved with the MSU Amateur Radio station W8MSU. As a “Ham” he contacted all fifty states and communicated with other hams in over one hundred countries. He was a life member of the American Radio Relay League.

He was a member of the Thumb Veterinary Medical Association where he served as Treasurer, Board of Directors, President and State Delegate to the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association. He was also a member of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association where he served as a member of the Finance Committee, the Ethics Committee and the Legislative Affairs Committee. He was also a member of the Mid-State Veterinary Association. He was also awarded a Life Membership in the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association. While in college he was the Business Manager for the MSU Veterinarian and worked as a Research Assistant on the Bovine Leukemia Project.

In 1993 he and about twenty-five other like-minded persons met in Minneapolis, MN, to form the American Veterinary Medical Law Association. He served very actively in this organization, being its first Executive Director. He also served on the Board of Directors and was Secretary-Treasurer and President. In 2000 he was awarded a Distinguished Life Membership in the organization.

Ed was also very active in the construction field. He was a member and President of the Thumb Homebuilders Association and served on the Board of Directors and as its President. He also served as Regional Vice President for Legislative Affairs. While in Caro he platted three Subdivisions, and built more than one hundred homes and apartments. He built and leased over thirty Post Offices, and many other commercial buildings.

He was a very avid alumnus of Michigan State University. While in Caro he helped start the MSU Tuscola County Alumni Association. He also served as its President. While in Lansing he was appointed to the MSU National Alumni Board where he served for ten years. During that period he served as Secretary, Treasurer, and was appointed to the Best Practices Committee. He was Chairman of the By-Laws Committee and helped to rewrite the By-Laws. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Mid-Michigan MSU Alumni Association. He continued to serve MSU with donations to the Spartan Fund and gave Three Point Two Million to fund an Endowed Chair in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He also attended five Final Four events and two Rose Bowl trips.

Ed was also very interested in politics. He was a member of the Tuscola County Republican Party and served on the Executive Committee. While in Lansing he served on the Ingham County Republican Executive Committee and was its Vice Chair for eight years. He also served on the Eighth District Republican Committee as the Ingham County Representative and as its Vice Chair. He attended many state conventions and several Mackinaw Island Leadership Conferences. In 1988 he was the Republican Nominee for MSU Trustee. He was appointed by Governor John Engler to serve on the Michigan Higher Facilities Commission.

In 2001 he traveled to Matamoros, Mexico, along with thirty MSU student volunteers for a Spring Break experience. He was serving as Superintendent of Construction for the Dr. John and Cindy Shinsky Charitable Endowment. In a period of five days he and the student volunteers were able to construct four dormitories for an orphanage, La Cuidad de Ninos. He returned to the site numerous other times to complete other buildings. This new facility now houses and educates over one hundred orphans, in a comfortable setting.

Ed was recognized in the publication Inside Michigan Politics for having been issued the most licenses by the State of Michigan. He held the following licenses: Veterinarian, Attorney, Real Estate Broker, Master Electrician, Homebuilder, Heating Cooling & Ventilating, and was an Instrument Rated Private Pilot.

His hobbies included travel, ham radio, and woodworking. Ed traveled extensively and visited many foreign lands. He visited all the European Countries numerous times. He also made two trips to China. He visited India, Russia and Brazil. During his retirement he built several pieces of furniture for his Grandchildren and for his home.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, November 29, 2018, at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel. Entombment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Lansing. The family will receive friends from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the MSU Veterinary College of Medicine. Online condolences may be left for his family at www.EstesLeadley.com.