Dwain L. Leiber, 87, owned Leiber Garage
Dwain L. Leiber, 87 passed away on October 19, 2026 at his residence. He was born on Jun 2, 1939 in Bluffton to the late Russell and Thula (Sanders) Leiber.
Duane graduated from Bluffton High School in 1957 and the following day he went to work for Bob Williams Chevrolet in Bluffton.
On September 27, 1958, he married Lou Ann Seever in Arcadia, Ohio. She was also from Arcadia. They were married for 63 years before her passing.
The couple had three children, Debra Leiber of Lima, Rebecca Leiber of Bluffton and Steven Leiber. They also had three grandchildren, Kyl Aller and Kayl Aller, both of Bluffton and Brandy (Jeff Tarnawsky) Aller of North Olmsted, Ohio. They also had two great-grandchildren, Braylin Aller of Bluffton and Colton Aller of Rockport.
Dwain was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Thula Leiber, his wife, Lou Ann Leiber and his son, Steven Leiber.
Dwain was a 70+ year member of the Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Bluffton. He was a member of the Lima Eagles Club 370 and 60+ year member of the Lima Moose Club #199.
In 1960, he went to work for White Chevrolet in Lima. In 1969, Dwain opened his own garage, Leiber Garage at 130 Vance Street in Bluffton, operating it until 2017, then sold it and retired.
Along the way, Dwain got involved in go-kart racing (the twin-engine class), winning three National Championships. The karting was a family thing, camping at the tracks and all three children raced.
In 1978, he got into sprint cars, winning Eldora Spring Championships in 1982 and 1983. He quit racing cars in 2010 and was inducted into the Fremont Speedway Spring Car Hall of Fame in 2026
For Dwain, the bottom line…”It was a great life.”
Dwain’s service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Emmanuel United Church of Christ, Bluffton, with Pastor Jeremy Mann officiating. Burial will follow in Maple Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, at Chiles-Laman Funeral & Cremation Services, Bluffton and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Emmanuel United Church of Christ.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
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