LEON L. BRAM

BRAM--Leon L. Leon's mind was encyclopedic from childhood, and as if fated to do so, he enjoyed a distinguished career in encyclopedia publishing, retiring from Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia as Vice President and Editorial Director in 1997. He was born in Chicago on September 20, 1932. As well as excelling academically as a young man, Leon proved to be an outstanding draftsman and a devoted distance runner. He began his career in publishing with Compton's Encyclopedia in Chicago, and in the 1970's moved to New York City to take an editorial position with Funk & Wagnalls. He came to be known as "capable of writing the entire encyclopedia himself." Before Leon retired he worked with Microsoft to create the first online encyclopedia, Encarta. After 1997 Leon took great pleasure in managing subscriptions for the New York Philharmonic. Leon loved his family, concert music, the ballet and opera, the Metropolitan Museum, the English language, and New York City. He died on February 11, 2013, survived by his brother Marvin, of Geneva, NY; son Alexander, his wife Tiffany, and grandson Maximillian, of Portland, OR; daughter Victoria, of Newmarket, NH; and many devoted friends.