Leonis Clos Malburg

1929 - 2017

April 4, 1929 - November 1, 2017 Leonis Clos Malburg died peacefully at his home on November 1, 2017 with his daughter, son and a few friends present. He was 88 and had been in declining health for the last few years. He is survived by his son Dr. John Leonis Malburg, daughter Linda Marie Fletcher, son-in-law Tracy Moffitt Fletcher and grandchildren Leonis Moffitt Fletcher, Lucas James Fletcher, and Sarah Jan Fletcher. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Marie Therese Mocho, nephew Fermin Erro (his wife Dorita Erro), nieces Marie Lourdes Erro, Maria Elida Casenave (her husband Dr. Cristian Casenave), and grandnieces and grandnephews Ikuska Erro, Nekane Erro,Thomas Casenave and Pierre Casenave. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of fifty-seven years, D. Leonie Malburg in 2014. Malburg was born on April 4, 1929 at the old French Hospital at Hill and College Streets in Los Angeles. The hospital was founded in 1869 by La Societe Francaise de Bienfaisance Mutuelle of Los Angeles with his great-uncle Miguel Leonis as an original member. Later in life, Malburg would become president and a director of this organization. Leonis was the only child of Adelina Leonis Malburg and Raymond Shepley Malburg.  He was also the only grandchild of J. B. Leonis who founded the industrial city of Vernon in 1905. It was his grandfather who would provide a role model for Malburg as he followed him into banking, beginning at the First National Bank of Vernon and then at successor banks for over thirty years. In 1956, he joined the city council of Vernon also following in his grandfather's footsteps and would go on to serve that city as an elected official for fifty-three years - one of the longest serving officials in the State of California.  While a banker and elected official like JB, he differed from his grandfather in his community involvements and especially the philanthropic endeavors of he and his wife. They supported the construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and Woodbury University's School of Business. He and Leonie also supported many other organizations anonymously. Following his graduation from Harvard Military Academy (now Harvard Westlake), Malburg attended Woodbury University where he was a member of the Class of 1949. He was most proud of his military service in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and his time as a director of the Metropolitan Water District. He also served as a director of the Leonis Adobe Association in Calabasas, chairman and director of the Group Board of Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles, and trustee emeritus of Woodbury University in Burbank. He was president emeritus and director of the Central Basin Municipal Water District and a retired chairman and director of Sanitation Districts 1, 2, and 23 of Los Angeles County. Malburg enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling and spending time with his family. Especially on their annual fishing trips to the Eastern Sierras, a place he first visited with his grandfather. A Viewing will be held Monday, November 13, 2017 from 5-8 pm at Gates Kingsley Gates Smith Salsbury, 4220 So. Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City. A Rosary will take place Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 6:00 pm at the Holy Angels Church of the Deaf, 4433 S. Santa Fe Ave., Vernon. The Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 1:30 pm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St. in downtown Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his honor be made to Holy Angels Church of the Deaf, 4433 S. Santa Fe Ave., Vernon, CA 90058. Please visit www.gateskingsley.com where you can view further information and sign the online guest book or call their office at (310) 837-7121.