Father William J. McLeod was born 1 March 1899 in Chapeltown, Quebec, Canada. He was ordained as an archdiocesan priest on 22 May 1937 at St. Patrick’s Seminary, in Menlo Park, California, and died 24 March 1969 in Medford, Oregon.
In his 32 year career, Fr. McLeod was assigned to eleven parishes throughout Oregon. His first assignment was in 1937 at St. Monica’s in Marshfield, Oregon, now known as Coos Bay. McLeod was transferred to other parishes on a near-yearly basis until 1944 when he took a five year medical leave of absence at Mt. St. Joseph Residence, an extended care facility in Portland, Oregon.
Upon his release from Mt. St. Joseph’s, McLeod was assigned to St. Stephen’s in Portland, where he spent one year before being transferred in 1950 to Holy Cross. In 1951 he was transferred to - Immaculate Heart parish. In 1952 he was assigned to St. Mary’s in Eugene where he spent two years before being transferred to his final assignment, Scared Heart parish in Medford, Oregon, in 1954. Fr. McLeod spent 15 years at Sacred Heart, dividing his time at nearby St. Joseph’s in Jacksonville.