Leff LaHuta—devoted husband, loving father, revered grandfather, lifelong educator and accomplished wordsmith—died peacefully in Scotch Plains, New Jersey on May 30. He was 91.
Leff was born in Staten Island, New York on March 24, 1931 to his mother, Pauline, a Russian immigrant who came to the United States via Ellis Island earlier that year. Ever the jokester, Leff liked to quip that he was too poor to have a sibling (or a middle name, for that matter) so from a young age he held countless jobs to support his family in Depression-era New York City. He collected glass bottles and set up bowling pins at the local alley, then while attending Curtis High School until 1949, worked as a page for the New York Public Library and delivered telegrams on Wall Street. But Leff was always eager for something grander, and for him it was higher education.
In 1953, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology from Brooklyn College, which expertly prepared him for his next adventure—the U.S. Army, where he was drafted later that year to teach Spanish-speaking soldiers English while stationed in Puerto Rico. Sergeant Leff LaHuta was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1955, the same year he returned to Brooklyn College to earn his master’s degree (indeed the first degree of its kind earned by anyone in his family). What followed next was a thirty-one-year stint as an English teacher at Port Richmond High School—an unrivaled academic run when Leff taught thousands of students over his four-decade career, which included professorial tours at Kingsborough College, Brooklyn College and St. John’s University
Teaching was his passion and no one student impressed him more than Lorraine, his loving wife of 49 years, who he married on May 5, 1973. There’s was a love story for the ages built on a mutual affection of the arts and its immediate muse: New York City. Because of this, the pair made Trinity Church their spiritual home, which is where Leff spent nearly every Sunday reading bible passages from its handsome wooden lectern. His was a deep love of life and all the happiness it could bring to his family. And the arts were everything: Theater, ballet, music and of course, the written word—what was an ever-present fixture as Leff’s knowledge of the English language was encyclopedic. His bespoke poetry was legendary, as were his joyous ‘Ta Ra Ra’s,” sing-song celebrations that he wrote for his friends and family on momentous occasions.
Ever the cinephile and always the bookworm, Leff will also be heartily remembered as a devoted fan of the New York Mets, his beloved baseball team who usually disappointed him, and his sons, regularly. He loved his cakes, his pies, his cookies, and especially, Lorraine’s Italian cheesecake, which was baked with aplomb every Christmas. But most of all, he loved enjoying his favorite things with his family.
Leff was also proudly Russian, however in the context of today’s geography, his family truly came from Odessa, Ukraine, which is why in lieu of flowers donations can be made in his name to World Central Kitchen, an organization that has provided more than 31 million meals to hungry Ukrainians. Alternatively, the Center for Hope in Scotch Plains, New Jersey took remarkable care of Leff in his final days, so donations can also be made there to support a staff that only had love in its collective hearts.
Leff LaHuta is survived by his wife, Lorraine, his sons Evan and David, daughters-in-law Rachele and Joy and his five grandchildren Isabel, Ava, Nicholas, Jackson and Tyler, all of whom inspired him to write his book of whimsical children’s poetry entitled ‘Rascally Rhymes.’ They all called him Grand Hon, a moniker that was born when Lorraine years ago shortened “honey” to “hon,” however one name could not be grander and more unique for a man who was larger than life and who consistently personified love. May he rest in peace with the friends and family who’ve left before him, and may his memory continue to be a blessing to those of us who remain here on Earth.
A memorial service for Leff LaHuta will be held on Monday, June 27 at 10am at Trinity Church Wall Street, where his ashes will also be spread in the churchyard followed by a luncheon at 74 Trinity Place. To donate to World Central Kitchen, please visit wck.org. And to donate to The Center for Hope, visit cfhh.org
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