Born Nov. 20, 1935, in Los Angeles, Calif.,
Leonard lived in Eagle Rock, a suburb of Los
Angeles, until he left home to go to school at Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo. He studied Landscape
Architecture until the Army called him to serve
in the Korean War in 1954. Since he had a year
of college, he was sent to work in the accounting
office in the South Pacific. He enjoyed many
adventures away from home as a young man in the
South Pacific and learned that he was a very good
accountant. When he returned to the United States
in 1956, Leonard stayed a little closer to home and
studied accounting at USC. For the rest of his life
he would follow the USC Trojans, rarely missing
a game. He especially enjoyed going to their
Homecoming Game almost every year with some
of this old college pals.
In 1960, he married Lydia Ansisna from his home town – practically the girl next
door. He and Lydia had two children, Lorraine Jean and George Fred. Leonard worked
many years as a CPA for Texaco and Standard Oil. They lived in La Crescenta and La
Canada, Calif. Everyone remembers the wonderful camping trips up to Mineral King
and Huntington Lake in California and the many fishing, boating and water skiing
adventures. Leonard and Lydia were among the original “flippers” purchasing “fixer
upper homes.” His children, Lorraine and George, remember there were always home
improvement projects to keep them busy. Lydia and Leonard divorced in 1979.
In 1982 Leonard married Sondra Platte, also of Los Angeles. They divorced in 1984
but remained partners and friends for the rest of his life. They also enjoyed many fishing
and camping trips both locally and in Wyoming. Leonard’s oil company years had given
him the opportunity to visit Pinedale, often. That area always stayed in his heart as
Paradise on Earth! When daughter Lori and her family decided to move to Laramie, in
2001, Leonard and Sondra were not far behind. They bought a vacation home in Big
Piney in 2001 and owned it for the rest of Leonard’s life. That was always Leonard’s
“happy place.” He took great pride in tending to his lush and beautiful yard. Often his
flowers both delphiniums and columbines took prizes at the local county fair.
All the while Leonard maintained a residence in South Pasadena for 36-plus years
and a successful CPA practice in Pasadena, Calif. – working up to July 15, 2020! Many
of his clients had been with him more than 40 years. He loved them all and considered
them his family. His work brought him great joy!
Leonard enjoyed all the visits by his daughter and grandchildren – Gwen, Garrett
and Grace Kirk, as well as his son-in-law, Garth Kirk. Most Father’s Days his daughter,
Lori, would bring flats of plants from the Laramie Garden Club and plant these mystery
flowers in the numerous planters around his Big Piney yard. It was always exciting to
see what would soon bloom!
Leonard loved to fish and took delight in teaching his grandchildren how to fish and
showing them his favorite, secret spots!
“God grant that I may fish until my dying day. And when it comes to my last cast, I
then most humbly pray, ‘When in God’s safe landing net, I am peacefully asleep, that in
His mercy I be judged as good enough to keep.”’
