Leonard Munchenberg 
25-4-1939 to 5-11-2024 

Excerpts from the eulogy delivered at the funeral service celebrating Munchy’s life, held in Kadina on Tuesday, November 19: 

KADINA legend Leonard Munchenberg, better known as Len or even Munchy, has been reunited with his beloved wife Ann after he peacefully passed away on November 5. 

Len was a big community man and, for the past 85 years, he certainly made his mark on a range of sporting, arts and local charity groups — including stepping in as Santa Claus for more than 25 years. 

Len’s story started in Tailem Bend, being the youngest son to Russell and Madge Munchenberg. 

The Munchenberg family made a few moves around regional South Australia and Adelaide but, by 1962, as a young man in his early 20s, Len found himself walking into a shop in Evanston and meeting his future wife Ann. 

Len’s best pick-up line was to say to Ann that she looked like a nice girl and she should go out with him; Ann did not jump at the opportunity, and told Len she would think about it. 

Len was persistent and continued to call into the shop to ask Ann if she was still thinking. 

After a few weeks, the tables turned and Ann was the one who asked Len out, but his response was “I will think about it”. 

Ann and Len were married in June 1965, and they soon moved into their first home in Coromandel Valley where they started their own family, bringing Bev, Sarah, Michelle and Trudy into the world. 

However, Coromandel Valley was clearly not meant to be the family’s forever home, and a creative trick Len had up his sleeve led the family to take a big leap and move to the Yorke Peninsula. 

Len had already decided he wanted to buy a deli, so he planned a family holiday to Fisherman’s Bay with a quick stop at a Kadina deli for ice cream to introduce the idea to Ann. 

The trick did not go quite to plan because Ann did not want ice cream, and Len had to confess his intention was to buy the store. 

The Munchenbergs bought the deli, which was named Munchy’s Place, with a five-year plan to make some money and then head back to Coromandel Valley. 

But the five-year plan was thrown out the window, and the family decided to stay in Kadina because they loved their new community so much. 

Over the years, the Munchenbergs’ businesses expanded to sell records, denim, waterbeds and had the very first video store to open on YP. 

Len’s community achievements in sport, the arts and charity are too long to list, but one special highlight was his appearance on the 2009-10 YP Yellow and White Pages telephone directory, recognising his contribution to the arts. 

Right up until the end, Len was a busy man and every week he still attended Kadina AH&F Society’s repair and chat cafes, the shed of knowledge and of course his favourite sport, golf. 

Len adored his family and was a very proud father, father-in-law, grandpa and great-grandpa. 

His children’s final farewell to their father was “We love you Dad and, as he would say, ‘Going now!’”