Leonard Teeuws, April 19, 1927 to July 14, 2006. Len Teeuws died peacefully in Indianapolis from complications related to prostate cancer on July 14, 2006. He was surrounded by his loving family when he died. The “Big Dog”, as he was affectionately called by his younger grandchildren, was a “larger-than-life” character, both in physical stature and personality. He will be terribly missed by the many he mentored, impacted and touched. A passionate fan and supporter of the underdog and underprivileged, Len most recently was involved in teaching English-as-a2nd language to recent immigrants at the J. Everett Light Center. He volunteered as a driver for the Disabled American Veterans, transporting veterans to and from the DAV hospital. He also assisted in coaching the 8th grade Park Tudor baseball team. For the last 2 decades, Len was a tireless advocate for retired NFL players as he served as a trustee of the NFL Retired Players Pension Fund. Born and raised in Oak Park, IL, Len, son of the late Lambert and Sietske “Susie” Teeuws, was the youngest of nine children. He attended Michigan State University on a football scholarship for one year before enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard. During WWII, he played on the Coast Guard basketball team and also specialized in beach volleyball. After the war, “Bud” or “Buddy” as he was called by his family and friends, resumed his University studies and college football career at Tulane University in New Orleans. It won’t surprise many of you to learn that Len was a theater and speech major in college which certainly helped him hone his excellent public speaking skills. During his final year at Tulane, he met a beauty named Jean Malmquist and they were married shortly thereafter in 1953. They were married for 52 years during which time they traveled the world and raised three children. After graduation, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and began a spectacular professional football career in 1952. We children recall how they both recalled fondly the incredible fun and great times they spent together during their brief three years in LA. The Rams were an icon of professional football and were supported extensively by the music and movie industries. Parties were commonly attended by team owner Bob Hope, actress Jane Russell (who was married to then quarterback, Bob Waterfield) and the like. He somehow got the nickname, “The 10 cent Tackle” during those days and was known for his larger than life personality, passion for the game, love of a good party and he was no stranger to the beer of that day, “Jax”. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that Len was a homesick “momma’s boy”, he was traded to his hometown, to join the Chicago Cardinals and his boyhood family and friends. In 1959 he was offered a higher compensation package selling insurance than to play football, so he retired and joined his longtime friend and mentor, Russell Tolley at Tolley International in Indianapolis. Len eventually became a second in command of this large actuarial consulting business, where he worked for nearly 40 years until his retirement. He was a member of The American Business Club (ABC), the Service Club, the former Indianapolis Athletic Club, Meridian Hills Country Club and Robert Kennington Post of the American Legion. He is survived by his three children, Suzi (Sutton), John and Mike, their spouses, Steve, Terri, Amanda; eight grandchildren, Tom, Amy, Madison, Lauren, Mitchell, John Henry, Elizabeth and Hamilton; and sister, Etta Guite. All of Len’s friends are invited to join the Memorial Service at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 3243 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN. You are invited to visit the website www.leppertmortuary.com where you can share a personal memory of Len, sign the guest book or make a memorial contribution to the Disabled American Veterans or the J. Everett Light Center of Washington Township. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Leppert Mortuary, Indianapolis, IN
