Trinity Western University honours Dr. Leland F. Asa, one of our early TWU faculty members. Leland, a professor at TWU in the beginning of the Trinity Junior College years, was dean of the first faculty and professor of psychology. Dr. Asa passed away on May 10, 2024. Below is an obituary provided by his family.
Early years
Dr. Leland F. Asa of Berthoud, Colorado was born in 1931 in Morrill, Nebraska, to Forrest Linden Asa, son of Dr. Athenus Lewis Asa, and Ilene Faye Knox, daughter of Frederick H. Knox.
Leland graduated from high school in Torrington, Wyoming, and spent a lot of time in his youth working on his Uncle Alton Asa’s ranch in Morrill. He loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing.
After high school he attended Northwestern College in Minnesota.
During the summer between high school and college, Leland met Alice Evelyn Moore of Long Pine, Nebraska. They were married a year later, in 1952.
Leland and Alice finished their bachelor’s degrees at Northwestern ,and then Alice received her master’s degree at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Leland finished his master’s of divinity at Trinity Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.
Founding of TWU
After graduation, Leland took on the pastorate of a small church plant in Omaha, Nebraska, with the Evangelical Free Church. After a successful several years there, he decided to purse a teaching career. He finished a master’s degree in psychology at the University of Omaha and his doctoral degree in psychology at the University of Wyoming.
From there, Leland and Alice went to Langley, British Columbia, Canada, to help with the beginnings of a new college, Trinity Western. The two of them taught at the college, and Leland served as dean of students and then academic dean of the college.
In 1975 Leland moved his family to Santa Barbara and began teaching in the psychology department at Westmont College in Montecito. He served as the department chair for several years. One of his highlights at Westmont was annually taking a group of students to Europe to teach them Art History.
Leland retired from teaching at Westmont in 1998 and moved to a farm in Berthoud, Colorado. He had lived in Berthoud for several years as a child — with his grandparents who farmed east of town — and was drawn back to the area.
Leland loved to fly, and owned several aircraft throughout his life. He was a Rotarian for 54 years and a member of the Montecito Rotary Club for many years. Leland was a member of the Grace Evangelical Free Church in Longmont, Colorado.
Alice Evelyn passed away in 1995, and Leland remarried Alice Marie Doty.
He is survived by his wife Alice Marie Asa; daughter Sandra Lundberg (Kevin) of Berthoud; son Bert Asa (Tracey) of Berthoud; grandchildren Dr. Scott Lundberg (Laura), Laura Stephens (Philip), Josh Asa, Katie Gentili (Tim), and Christy Lundberg; and great-grandchildren Owen, Olivia, Bentley and Aisling. He is also survived by Alice Marie’s immediate family.
Leland will be remembered as a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He was always a wise, steady, calm man at home, church, and at work.
He will be buried in Morrill, Nebraska. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. May 28 at Grace Evangelical Free Church in Longmont, Colorado.
The Alice and Mabel Asa Scholarship
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the Alice and Mabel Asa Scholarship fund at Trinity Western University. Created by Dr. Asa, the Alice and Mabel Lee Asa Memorial Scholarship is an award given in memory of his wife Alice and his mother Mabel.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.