Beloved father, grandfather, son, brother, and friend, Leo Vincent Zwetzig passed away on December 5, 2021, at the Michael J. Fitzmaurice Veterans Home in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Born in Rapid City, SD, to Alexander and Ellen (Ebel) Zwetzig on March 24, 1941, Leo grew up in Keystone, SD, and graduated from Hill City High School in 1959.

Leo served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1963. An advanced marksmanship instructor, Leo's service included training soldiers at different Army bases and National Guard camps across the United States. Following his service, Leo worked in mining and construction until 1967 when he started his National Park Service career as a fire control aid at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  He received a permanent position as a park ranger in 1970.  He obtained his law enforcement certification from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Washington D.C. and was promoted to Chief Park Ranger in charge of law enforcement in 1982. Leo was entrusted with protecting Mount Rushmore, a responsibility he fulfilled with honor. Leo retired from the National Park Service in 1991, after which time he stayed active hunting, fishing, and spending time with family. During his retirement, he also worked with Meals on Wheels and served as the site manager for the Keystone Community Center, coupling his love for his hometown and its people with his love for cooking and serving others.

Leo was a fighter who survived more than one life threatening experience, including his battle with esophageal cancer in 1996.  Leo's fighting spirit was balanced by a loving and kind heart that he undoubtedly inherited from the person he considered his angel, his mother Ellen. Leo shared the words, "I love you," genuinely and often, and those who knew and loved him always knew and felt his love.

Leo is survived by his daughters, Kimberly (Michael) Carlson and Katrina Rudebusch; his grandchildren, Megan (Jon) Collins, Erika Kling, Christian (Brianna) Rudebusch, and Vincent Rudebusch; his great-grandchildren, Lily, Harper, and Declan Collins and Roman and Kolbe Kling; his brothers, John Zwetzig, Fred Zwetzig, and Jim Zwetzig, along with many other family and friends.

Leo was preceded in death by his father, Alex Zwetzig; mother, Ellen Zwetzig, and brothers, Bill Zwetzig and Frank Zwetzig.

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