Leslie Harding Obituary

Leslie Lane Harding (born December 15th, 1952) passed away in Durango, CO, on December 24th, 2022, surrounded by the love of his family.

Raised in Des Moines, Iowa by Gene and Norma Harding, he enjoyed swimming, roman candles and getting up to general shenanigans with his friends (which may or may not have resulted in the death of at least one toilet). He was drawn to the mountains of Colorado after visiting as a young child and took advantage of a transfer to Grand County from the cable company he was working for to realize his dream of living there.

He had a passion for Harley Davidson motorcycles and spent his life riding and building them, including building a 1950 Harley, affectionately known as Ruby, from all vintage parts. While Harleys were his favorite, he enjoyed fixing and tinkering with anything with an engine, from cars, jeepsters and snowplows to rescued old lawn mowers and weed whackers. After moving to Colorado he became an industrial electrician, working at Henderson Mine before becoming a lift electrician for multiple Colorado ski resorts and helping build lifts for Doppelmayr, and really enjoyed the training he received in Austria. He also worked as a bus driver and CDL trainer for the Summit Stage in Frisco, Colorado, where he met his wife Cate while training her to drive.

He was an incredible dad, doing everything he could for his daughters even when he wasn't feeling well. He liked telling dad jokes, spooky stories when the power went out, giving (mostly) great advice, and making up silly songs about everything. He was also a great dog dad, rescuing multiple shelter dogs throughout his life.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Gene and Norma Harding, and his brother, Alan Harding. He is survived by his sister, Nancy Harding Warren, nieces and nephew Jamie, Eric and Kellie Warren; his wife, Cate Harding; and his daughters, Rhiannon and Ahliya Harding. If you would like to honor him, please donate to or participate in your favorite motorcycle charity ride in his name.