Leechburg Memorial Day parade to honor former Mayor Wayne Dobos

Leechburg’s annual Memorial Day parade will be extra special this year as the borough celebrates the late Mayor Wayne Dobos.

This year’s ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

State Rep. Abby Major will be the keynote speaker.

Tyler Bollinger will host the ceremony. Other appearances made in the parade will include Eagle Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Leechburg Area School District’s band and homecoming court and antique cars.

Doreen Smeal, president of the Leechburg Area Community Association (LACA), said the ceremony will be changing locations to be held at the borough building, where Dobos spent most of his time as mayor. A C-17 flyover tribute to honor Dobos is scheduled to happen between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Dobos died in March at 72 from an undisclosed illness.

Smeal said she wanted to make sure Dobos was honored for everything he did for the borough.

“Wayne always wanted to do a flyover for the parades, so this is to honor him,” she said.

Dobos was a proud Vietnam War veteran who hosted multiple patriotic ceremonies in the borough, including the annual Memorial Day parade.

The parade will begin at the bottom of First Street, proceed to Main, to Third, then to Market Street back to the borough building.

Smeal anticipates a bigger crowd for this year’s ceremony because of the special meaning behind it. She said the last two parades were smaller scale.

Tony Roppolo, who was appointed mayor March 16, echoed a similar thought.

”I am hoping we have a bigger celebration than ever this year,” he said. “It is going to be Wayne’s Day.”