Ernesto Giulio Leveque

Ernesto Leveque was born in Rome, where he served in the Italian military and later worked for the national railway. In 1965, he met Heather, who was in Italy on a work visa. Six months later they were married in Genoa, and soon after, Ernesto moved to Spokane, Washington, to begin their life together. They went on to have three children: Alessandro, Simonetta, and Cristina.
When the family settled in Spokane in the early 1970s, youth soccer didn't yet exist in the area. Wanting his children and their friends to have the chance to play, Ernesto started a small league with just two teams. It eventually grew into the established program the community knows today. He later coached at the high school and college levels and was a familiar presence on the sidelines. In addition to coaching, Ernesto(aka Ernie) refereed and became one of Washington's leading referee assessors.
Outside of soccer, Ernesto enjoyed fishing, backpacking, and traveling—especially visiting friends in Guatemala.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Heather, and their son, Alessandro. He is survived by his daughters, Simonetta and Cristina Leveque, his granddaughters Sara and Emily Drew, his great grandkids Callan and Hazel, and his partner, Kayleen Mendoza. He will be deeply missed by those who knew him.
A celebration of life will be held on April 4th at the Northeast Community Center from 1-4pm, at 4001 N Cook St Spokane, WA 99207. Feel free to dress in your favorite soccer or referee uniform in his honor.