Paul A. Leonard

Obituary: Paul A. Leonard

Paul A. Leonard, aged 87, passed away on August 11, 2024. Born on July 30, 1937, in Rockville Centre, NY, he was the son of Edmund J. and Olga I. Leonard. Paul was predeceased by his sister, Patricia Brown, and his brothers, Edmund J. Jr., and Peter. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of almost 60 years, Joanne Leonard, and their four children and their loving spouses: Paul A. Leonard Jr. and Caterina Lamanna, Heather and Eric Wise, Jennifer and Ken Barnes, and Julie and Patrick Leonard. He was affectionately known as "Pop Pop" by his twelve grandchildren: Harrison, William, Annie, Brendan, Olivia, Madeline, Graham, Charlotte, Matthew, Gunnar, Alexandra, and Blake.

Paul was a proud graduate of Chaminade High School and the College of the Holy Cross. He began his career as a junior government bond trader at C.F. Childs and, in 1963, moved to Northern Trust Co. in Chicago, where he managed the government trading desk. Later, he joined a family business in Boston, Joanne's hometown.

In 1971, Paul joined Salomon Brothers in New York, where he managed their emerging GNMA mortgage-backed trading sector. After three years, he moved to A.G. Becker, leading the GNMA trading department. Paul played a pivotal role as part of a founding group of the Mortgage-Backed Dealers Association, serving multiple terms as its president over the first ten years until it merged with the Public Securities Association. He also co-authored "The GNMA Manual," a study of the emerging mortgage-backed securities markets.

Later in his career, Paul joined Security Capital Markets as a senior financial advisor and board member of two wholly-owned subsidiaries. His final career move was co-founding Electronic Trading Systems (ETS) with a highly respected business partner.

Paul and Joanne cherished every moment with their children and grandchildren, with Paul often spending hours on Zoom calls to stay connected with his family. He frequently expressed pride in the unique and special qualities of each of his children and grandchildren. His favorite hobby was sailing on the Long Island Sound with the family on his boat, the Morning Sun. He also enjoyed golf and "tinkering" in the garden.

A funeral service will be held at St. Ignatius Church on September 13, where Paul and Joanne were married. A celebratory Mass will also be held at St. Christopher's Parish in Hobe Sound, FL, at a later date.