Daniel Leonard

Daniel Leonard, Jr.

1935 - 2024

Daniel Leonard, Jr., 89, died on October 11, 2024 in Westwood, MA. Dan was born in Evanston, IL in 1935, the first child of Daniel Leonard II and Sarah May Morey Leonard. He grew up in Winnetka, IL at "Wildacre," the family home. He was an Eagle Scout, graduated from New Trier High School, Amherst College and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. In 1959 he married "the most beautiful girl in Chicago," Elizabeth Anne Dix Chamberlain, "Betty." Together, they raised three children in Chicago, Winnetka, IL, Ridgewood, NJ, and finally Amherst, NH.

Dan started his career as an early computer geek in Chicago, with IBM, McKinsey & Co., and founding Teledata Corp., a pioneer in digital banking services in the 1960's. Later, he worked for Citibank in New York City, taught at Bentley College and did management and career consulting in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Dan was open, accepting, gracious and charming. Some have described him by stating simply "he was an embrace." He was intellectually gifted, a walking encyclopedia, and a lifetime member of Mensa. He was a lifetime learner who enjoyed studying science, poetry, history and world cultures, and experimented with composting long before it became popular. He was known as the family historian, outdoorsman and fixer-upper, with a quick wit and MANY hobbies.

Among his favorite places in the world was "Wa Awa," the family Adirondack camp built by his grandfather, who fell in love with the site in the 1800's. An avid woodsman, he enjoyed the mix of wilderness, time with family, tranquility and an active cocktail party schedule.

Dan was committed to family and genealogy, excited to discover new relatives, living or deceased. He and Betty enjoyed genealogical research, taking trips which they described as "going to dig up dead ancestors!" and tracing several lines through colonial New England and dating back more than six centuries, including Charlemagne! Dan loved to welcome new family members, and at some point in the conversation, would pull a folded piece of paper and a mechanical pencil from his pocket and jot down their info for his database. He put people at ease with his warmth and signature sense of humor.

In 2014, Dan and Betty left their NH home of 40 years and moved to Fox Hill Village in Westwood. In his last days, a grandson asked him to identify the best period of his life. He responded with "Fox Hill Village! I am surrounded by great people, who care about each other. What could be better?" He participated in clubs, took (and taught) classes, wrote for The Fox and had breakfast with his "men's breakfast group," the highlight of his day. He approached everyone, residents and staff, with the same respect and curiosity. If someone spoke with an accent, Dan wanted to hear about their heritage and learn a few words of their language so that he could greet them properly the next time.

Our hearts are broken, but we are forever grateful for his impact on our collective lives. Dan is survived by Betty, his wife of 64 years, sister Sarah Krepp (Carter Howard), three children, Ashley Leonard, Elizabeth "Bonnie" Leonard (Christina Toro), Danford Leonard (Robin St. Germain); five grandchildren, Danford "Ford," May, Anne, Ian and Christopher Leonard; a niece, Caroline Krepp O'Malley; a nephew, Charles "Chad" Krepp and several beloved godchildren.

A memorial service will be at 11:00AM on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at:

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

59 Court Street

Dedham, MA

The Church Service will be livestreamed at https://youtube.com/live/JmE3r51MEVg

There will be a second memorial service in Winnetka, Illinois in the coming months, where Dan's ashes will be interred with those of his parents.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Dan to the Fox Hill Village Appreciation Fund. The fund is shared by the Fox Hill Village staff, with whom a mutual feeling of kindness and respect was shared. Checks should include a memo indicating Leonard Appreciation Donation, and sent to:

Fox Hill Village

10 Longwood Drive

Westwood, MA 02090