Donald Legerski

Donald Legerski peacefully joined his Lord in late October, surrounded by family at home in Lander. This end of a life well-lived culminated 84 years of integrity, faith, family, law, strength, generosity and determination.

Don’s final journey of rapidly failing health began some weeks after a celebration of 60 years of marriage to his beloved wife Judy - with the three generations of his marvelous family gathering In London in late June for a cruise of the British Isles, followed by eight days in Scotland (a country they had not yet explored), returning to Lander in mid-July.

Don’s Catholic faith was always a part of his life. He was a true son of Wyoming, a member of two state championship football teams (Rock Springs ’59 & ’60), later earning both an accounting degree and a juris doctor from the University of Wyoming. The first member of his 3rd-generation Polish immigrant family to graduate from college, he was a life-long Cowboy fan, especially loving the years his oldest grandson Lukas played for the football team.

His approach to lawyering was straight-forward and old school. He was meticulously prepared, exacting, punctual and took life-long care of his clients. A 57-year member of the Wyoming Bar, Don never tired of his varied practice; he served as the last Justice of the Peace in Fremont County prior to the creation of the Circuit Court system, taking pride in the years he spent representing the Fremont County School District #1 and the City of Lander. Don served as City Judge, a member of the Shoshone-Arapahoe Supreme Court during the formative days of the tribal court system, chief deputy prosecuting attorney for Fremont County, district and circuit court commissioner, did a stint as a part-time public defender, and volunteered his time to many civil groups including the Lander Golf Club and the Civilian Marksmanship Program, not to mention numerous clients fallen upon hard times.

Throughout these many pursuits, Don’s family was his primary anchor. He and Judy raised three children: Greg, Katie and Angie. Their spouses, Adele, Todd and Ron, were an added bonus. Don and Judy nurtured their six grandchildren – Sonya, Olivia, McKenna, Lukas, Nora and Marko (and now Mark and Sawyer) – providing both a home base for holidays and a gathering of the family for an adventure each summer. Nicholas and Jack have joined the entourage as great-grands, with another on the way.

Don and Judy traveled the world and explored the US National Parks as often as possible. Their love of the national parks and their belief in the ability of education and the outdoors to change lives are combined in the generously funded Legerski UW Teton Graduate Scholars in Biodiversity Endowment through the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources

One cannot escape the fullness of time; the family and special friends will celebrate Don’s life with a private memorial mass this summer.

In lieu of memorials in Don’s memory, the family requests that friends perform periodic random acts of kindness. 

Please sign the online guestbook: hudsonsfh.com.