Leonard Emerick Troxel

United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Emerick Troxel tragically passed away on May 9, 2024, after a courageous six-year battle with stage 4 melanoma. He developed the disease due to toxic exposure during his military service.

Raised by loving parents, Don and Rosemary, alongside his older sister, Janna, he was born in Renton, Washington. He spent his early childhood in McMinnville, Oregon, before moving to Lebanon, Oregon in late elementary school. His childhood was active and adventurous. When not involved in organized activities, he and his friends roamed the nearby forested hill, inventing games and even shooting bottle rockets at each other. Unsurprisingly, many of those friends later joined the Marine Corps. He played sports year-round, including basketball, track, wrestling, and football, with football becoming his primary focus in high school. In addition to athletics, he played trumpet in the marching band, was active in his church youth group, and participated in academic societies. The family shared a love for camping, church events, and spending time with extended family throughout Oregon.

Troxel had a true passion for service and deeply cared about people. He was known as a detail-oriented leader who understood the importance of small details in achieving large outcomes. After graduating from Linfield College in 1991 with a BS in Biology, he entered the USMC Officer Candidate program in Quantico, VA during the winter of 1992. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in April of 1992 and retired in December of 2015. His lifelong goal was to lead and serve his fellow Marines and his country. During his distinguished 23-year career, Troxel achieved what many Marines aspire to: leading Marines, deploying multiple times to combat, and commanding Marines at a high level as the commanding officer of MTACS-28 in Okinawa.

Troxel’s retirement in 2015 was followed two years later by a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis, attributed to toxic exposure during his career. His diagnosis came after he sought emergency room treatment for feeling unwell, where he was admitted for pancreatitis and subsequently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer due to organ failure. Despite his determination to overcome the disease, after nearly 6 years of treatment, the cancer and its side effects proved insurmountable. Even throughout his illness, Troxel remained dedicated to others, remembered for his selfless service to his community and church, and his consistent demonstration of compassion and care. Even during his own medical appointments and hospitalizations, he would prioritize the well-being of his healthcare providers, engaging them in genuine conversation and expressing interest in their lives.

Troxel and his wife, Carol, met while they were both undergraduate students at Linfield College. They have a teenage son, D.K., of whom Troxel was incredibly proud as he watched him grow into a remarkable young man. D.K. is an active and engaged teen—he’s a member of his high school chess team, participates on the robotics team, and is deeply involved in Scouting. He recently completed his Eagle Scout project, creating 100 backpack care kits for children in the Yuma community who have a parent diagnosed with cancer. Recognizing the lack of resources for kids facing similar challenges, D.K ‘s project was a meaningful way to give back and support others going through what he has experienced. Carol is actively involved in her son’s Boy Scout Troop and at her local church.

United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Emerick Troxel is survived by his loving wife, Carol and beautiful son, D.K.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid off the mortgage of the Troxel family home through the Gold Star Family Home Program.