Leland Larry Groves
March 29, 1955 ~ August 25, 2025
Leland Larry Groves, 70, of Newton, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2025, following a sudden and unexpected diagnosis of pancreatic and liver cancer.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, September 12, 2025, at the Newton Church of The Way. The family will greet friends immediately after the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Hospice of Pella (Comfort House), Poweshiek Animal League Shelter, or the Greater Yellowstone Coalition may be left at the service or at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.
Leland was born March 29, 1955, in Newton, IA, to Earl and Theola (Schmid) Groves. A graduate of Newton High School, class of 1973, he earned his first management position with Hy-Vee West in Newton. Feeling a tug to do good in the world, Leland discovered his calling to serve others and began a long and impactful career in law enforcement. In 1977, he joined the Newton Police Department where he would serve faithfully for 33 years until his retirement in 2010.
On July 8, 1978, Leland married the love of his life, Sarah (McReynolds) Groves, beginning a 47-year journey marked by love and shared adventure.
Leland’s legacy in law enforcement can best be described in one word: change. He was passionate and instrumental in changing his department for the better. He helped develop and implement training initiatives, instructional programs, citizen programs, new units and testing standards that would serve as an example to other agencies around the state. He led by example - always with integrity, humility, and a drive to make things better.
After retirement, Leland continued serving his community as a bus driver for Park Centre, where he built friendships and thoroughly enjoyed the stories of the people he transported.
Leland was passionate about physical fitness, he wanted to be ready when duty called. His hours in the gym helped prepare him for the fights and skirmishes he would face on the street. His hard work and physical preparation kept him and others alive to live and work another day. As passionate as Leland was about working out, he skipped leg day…every time, which is why you never saw him wearing shorts.
Leland loved the outdoors and going on planned vacations with family. He was someone who knew what he liked and getting him to try something new was a daunting task. He took many trips with friends, venturing into the deep woods and lakes of Canada. He had a knack for catching big walleye and contrary to most fishermen, he never lied about their size. Many of Leland’s peers describe him as honorable, of high character, and as a person of integrity, words never used to describe a true fisherman.
Leland also loved visiting Yellowstone with his wife. They shared many trips together watching the bears, wolves, and other abundant wildlife through the lens of a spotting scope. Leland was an introvert who rarely got out to meet new people, so it was always fascinating to his family when he would return home from a Yellowstone trip talking about the people he encountered, aside from the annoying tourists. Some of those “chance” encounters with other people blossomed into deep and meaningful friendships.
Leland also enjoyed taking his family to Disney World. Over the years, he made multiple trips to Florida where you saw a side of him that was childlike. He enjoyed the rides, the food, and seeing the smiles on the faces of his family as they created memories together.
Leland was tough. In the words of Ed Ling at Rialto Barbershop, “This man right here (pointing to Leland) is afraid of no man, not even the devil himself!” Leland’s kids grew up knowing their dad could beat up your dad. But he was also tough on his kids, holding them to a high standard. It was done out of love and a desire to see his children make a difference. Leland said he prayed every night for his kids to grow up: healthy, happy, and willing to make a difference in the world. If his kids forgot the standard he had set, he was not afraid to remind them. Leland’s toughness melted away after retirement and the welcoming of grandchildren into his life. He was quick to banter back and forth with the grandkids, but even quicker to offer a word of encouragement, a hug, and a $20 bill to each of them for getting good grades. The grandchildren were often allowed to do things that Leland’s own children would have been disciplined for, his joking response, “Yeah, but I actually love the grandkids!”
Leland is survived by his beloved wife, Sarah; children Aaron (Tricia) Groves, Christie (Bryan) Jones; grandchildren Adalynn, Gracelynn, and Gideon; granddogs Lilu, Norman, and Otto; sister Cheryl Moredock; and many other extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Theola Groves and brother-in-law Richard Moredock.
The family extends a special thanks to Hospice of Pella - Comfort house, his hospice nurses, and friends and family that reached out and extended compassion and care in his final days.
Leland lived a life of service and dedication to protecting and serving those in need. And for many of you, you may not know why or how he came to be this way. In 1975 Leland had an encounter with Jesus Christ where he was given a “new heart,” changing the trajectory of his life and eternity. While many people didn’t know much about Leland’s faith because he was quiet about it, we pray that all the good things you saw in him are recognized as a gift from God and the direct result of asking Jesus Christ into his heart. Lastly, we are praying for all of you. It’s his family’s desire for all of you to have an encounter with Jesus Christ, with the hope of making Leland’s death the loudest and most impactful expression of his faith.
