Leivestad leaves a legacy of legislative service, enjoyment of sports

Whether he was playing hockey or testifying before the Minnesota Legislature, Damon Leivestad left an impression. Leivestad died in October. He was 51 years old and lived in Plymouth.

Leivestad was born in Mankato and grew up in St. Peter. When Leivestad was three years old, he was diagnosed with the progressive neuromuscular disorder spinal muscular atrophy. By the age of 10 he was using a wheelchair.

During the summers he attended MDA Camp at Camp Courage, where the campers played wheelchair floor hockey. That sparked his lifelong interest in hockey. He also enjoyed other sports and was often seen wearing a favorite team cap.

After graduating from St. Peter High School in 1992, he moved to Minneapolis and started CAD classes, majoring in mechanical engineering. By February of 1993 he was interning with his present employer, Barry-Wehmiller Flexible Systems. Colleagues praised him for his engineering skills and talents. They and his friends also remembered his sense of humor.

In 1993 he and four disabled friends flew to Germany to attend an international wheelchair hockey tournament. They had amazing stories upon their return, especially about cruising the Autobahn Highway at night in their chairs and getting lost. After returning from Germany the team began making trips to Canada to play hockey.

Soon he and two other teammates started the PowerHockey USA organization, dedicated to providing a quality hockey program for persons requiring the use of an electric (power) wheelchair in daily life.

In 2002 Leivestad was awarded the Rose and Jay Phillips Award from Courage Center, in recognition of his outstanding vocational and community success.

In recent years, in addition to continuing to design packaging machinery for his employer, he became a strong and dedicated advocate for the disabled and their caregivers. He worked on legislation and regulatory issues with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities and Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and David Zak, staff for the Human Services Committee.  At the time of his death, Leivestad was preparing bills to be introduced for the 2025 session. A key focus for him was the need for adequate compensation for care staff. At one past hearing, he said, “The shortage of homecare workers is growing at a staggering rate, which has had a tremendous impact on those of us who rely on homecare services. The time, energy, and difficulty of finding workers for those people with disabilities feeling very vulnerable, burdensome, and, at times, without hope. . . . Without our basic needs being met, it’s impossible to know what the future will look like.”

He often spoke of struggling to retain staff and having to rely on his parents as caregivers.  Leivestad is survived by his parents David and Deanna, his brother Derek and other family members and friends. Services have been held. Interment will be in St. Peter at a later date. Memorials preferred to Cure SMA.