Alvin Leonard

LEONARD, Alvin 1918–2007 Alvin Leonard passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 7, in Portland following a long illness. He was 88.

Alvin Riley Leonard was born in rural Morris County, Kan., Aug.11, 1918, to Frank Carl and Golda Emma Good Leonard. He graduated in 1936 from nearby White City High School where he was class president and valedictorian. He studied geological sciences at the University of Kansas and graduated in 1942 with a bachelor's degree in geology. He was in the graduate geology program at KU when he entered the U.S. Army in 1942.

Al met Jean Evelyn Lyons of Junction City, Kan., 70 years ago in January 1937 at a Methodist youth function. They were married 65 years ago on Nov. 26, 1941, in Kansas City, Kan.

During World War II, Al served his country in the Army Engineers and Army Air Corps. From 1942 to 1943 he served with the 29th Engineers in Portland, making topographical maps of enemy-held territory, working from aerial photographs. After attending navigation school, he received his second lieutenant's commission and was sent to England where he served with the 91st Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force. Al flew 22 missions over Europe as a B-17 navigator and was awarded the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

Al worked his entire career as a ground water geologist and hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. His career took the Leonard family from Lawrence, Kan., to Sacramento, Calif., to Norman, Okla., where he was ground water branch district chief. In 1965, he was transferred to Portland, and named survey representative on an interagency task force studying water and land resources of the Willamette River Basin. He also served as chairman of the hydrology committee for this task force. He worked in Oregon until his retirement in 1981 with extended assignments in North Dakota and Reston, Va. During this time he also served three months with the US Agency for International Development in Lahore, Pakistan. This assignment ended abruptly with a hurried evacuation through the Kyber Pass and on to Kabul and Tehran after the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. When Mt. St. Helens awoke from dormancy and began venting steam and ash in March 1980, Al was the official USGS spokesman on these phenomena for several weeks until a volcanologist could be flown into the Portland area. After retirement, Al worked as a contractor in Houston preparing the Environmental Impact Report for the Alaska gas pipeline.

Al loved to travel and in retirement he and Jean enjoyed trips to Montana, New England, and Arizona, as well as frequent trips to visit family and friends in Kansas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Iowa. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to New Zealand and joined their son, Jim, and his wife, Cynthia, on a trip to England to mark their 80th birthdays.

Al enjoyed bridge, bowling and crossword puzzles but his passion was gardening. For many years he was a master gardener in Washington County. He enjoyed working in his rose garden and for many years had a vegetable garden in the Beaverton community gardens. He enjoyed drying grapes, cherries, apples, bananas, and other fruit in his homemade food dehydrator and then sharing them with family and friends.

Al was very active in the Methodist church throughout his life and was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church of Portland. He and Jean helped start a new Methodist church in the Sacramento area during their time there.

Al is survived by his wife, Jean; children, Alvin Richard and wife, Beth of Edmond, Okla., Mary Leonard of Auburn, Wash., Jim and wife, Cynthia of San Rafael, Calif., and Kathy Raines and husband, David of Eugene; two grandchildren, Kevin and Becky Raines; two step-grandchildren, Logan and Colby Lower; and his sister, Elaine Vick of Lawrence, Kan. Al was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Wilbur, Frank, and Phillip.

A memorial service will be held Friday, March 2 at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Portland, 1838 Jefferson Street. Inurnment will be at Willamette National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to United Methodist Committee on Relief or the local Salvation Army.