George N. Leader

1926 - 2020

GEORGE N. LEADER Of Aventura, Florida passed away on Friday, August 21, 2020. He will be laid to rest at Lakeside Memorial on Sunday, August 23, 2020 with his immediate family only. The service will also be available via Zoom. George was born in Belmar, New Jersey to Rose Lillian and Jacob Louis Leader on October 24, 1926. He served in the Navy as a medic during World War II. He attended college on the GI bill and later hitchhiked from New Jersey to Florida with $10 in his sock, a carboard suitcase, and a dream to attend The University of Miami School of Medicine. Due to quotas on Jews at that time, he was first accepted into UM's Law Schooland he found his calling there. George worked at the Miami Herald scooping the press and other odd jobs at night, in order to pay for school. With little money for food, when invited to restaurants along with classmates, he ordered a complimentary "Pine Float." This consisted of a toothpick in hot water, to which sometimes he added free Saltines and ketchup to craft into tomato soup. He graduated From Univeristy of Miami School of Law in 1951, and later created a scholarship in his name so that others would not face the same financial hardships he did. After school, he continued working at the Miami Herald to save money to open his law practice. He was a leader of the Young Democrats in North Miami Beach, and hosted a fundraiser for JFK. He put an ad in the paper to look for interest in starting the first reform Synagogue in North Dade. This idea became Temple Sinai, where George was a founding member. Temple Sinai remained important to him throughout his life, and has been the place his family celebrated many milestones including his 90th Birthday with his entire extended family. He then opened Greynolds Park Manor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, where he had the opportunity bring in many excellent nurses from the Philippines. Many of them later told him that he helped give them the "American Dream." These nurses became a part of our family, and George considered Greynolds a fifth child. Even after selling the land in roughly 1990, he would always drive by to check-on his baby. George is remembered by his wife of 48 years, Diana Leader; his children, Karen (Leader) Lund, Larry Leader, Robin Leader-Landau, and Michael Leader. His greatest legacy is his large family which includes: Karen's husband Gregg; Grandchildren Tova (Lund) Glenn, Brad Glenn and great-grandchildren Noah, Jaren, and Harper; Grandchildren Oren and Dorothy Lund and their great-grandson Rowan; Grandchildren Rachel (Lund) Felson and Zachary Felson and great-grandchildren Ava, Ellie, Liv, and Gabriel; Grandchildren Ari and Amy Lund and great-grandchildren Zev, Tahl, Issac, and Maya; Larry's wife Nancy and their children Beth (Leader ) and Parker Hardy, Julia, and Daniel Leader; Robin's husband Todd Landau and their children, Amanda, Matthew, and Jordan Landau; Michael's wife Lara and their children, Zachary and Evan. George was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Sally (Leader) Levin and Lou Levin, William and Ann Leader, brother-in-law, Harold Zweigbaum and survived by one remaining sister, Reba Zweigbaum. George was blessed to have great nieces and nephews: Ellen Pytlar, Jack Levin, Barry Levin, and Joyce Levin; Wendy Johnston, Karen Leader, and Drora Leader; and Billy Zweigbaum and Laura Zweigbaum. George woke up feeling as if each day was a gift, saying he was thrilled each morning that his name was not in the obituaries. He radiated light and joy, his blue eyes forever bright and sparkly, and he left his mark on so, so many. We were given the gift of nearly 94 years with this remarkable man, and for that we are endlessly grateful. The extended Leader family would like to share stories about all of the adventures George embarked upon, including running a night club, managing a parking lot and more. However, he was a child of the Great Depression and knowing that obituaries are billed by the line, he would have been horrified by the cost! In lieu of food, please consider donating in memoriam to Temple Sinai of North Dade, (tsnd.org/donate) or George and Diana Leader Scholarship Fund at University of Miami School of Law.