Dr. David Leshner

Dr. David Leshner, age 91, died peacefully at home after a long illness on May 14, 2025. He was born on January 27, 1934, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Russian and Polish immigrants. David moved to Cleveland in 1952 and became a proud Clevelander for the remainder of his life, later spending winters in Palm Desert, California.
David attended the University of Pennsylvania, then transferred to the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, where he graduated in 1956. He practiced podiatry at the St. Luke's Hospital Diabetic Clinic and at his office in Shaker Heights for 40 years. Always interested in continuing education, David went back to college in his 60s, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Akron in 1997, followed by a Master of Taxation Degree in 1999.
A lifelong athlete, David excelled at both racquetball and golf. In 1979, he was a member of the Ohio Racquetball Association Men's Team that won the state championship. An avid golfer since his youth, David was a devoted member of Lake Forest Country Club for 44 years, and also was a member at the Lakes Country Club (Palm Desert, California). David had five holes-in-one, and played championship level golf into his 70s. He also loved the hiking trails at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and spent many happy summer days enjoying the park.
David said that the top accomplishment of his life was marrying his wife, Janice. They met at a dance for incoming students at Mather College / Western Reserve University in 1953, and would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this September. She enriched his life in many ways, but he was especially grateful to her for introducing him to classical music. Reflecting their shared love of music, they were longtime supporters of both the Cleveland Orchestra and the Palm Springs Friends of Philharmonic. They loved to travel, making their 19th visit to Paris (their favorite destination) for Jan's birthday in 2019. They also shared a love of professional sports, with David often remarking "I've got a wife that loves beer and football, what more could I want?"
David and Janice were proud parents of three children: Brian (of Sebastopol, California), Karen (Mountain View, California) and Daniel (deceased in 1988); he was also a loving father-in-law to Susan. David was a devoted grandfather to six granddaughters: Becca, Nell, Allison, Emily, Rose and Jenny. He was also delighted to become a great-grandfather in recent years to Zoe and Phoebe, daughters of Allison and Lee.
A funeral service was held on Sunday, May 18th at Hillcrest Cemetery in Bedford Heights.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Dr. David Leshner, please visit our floral store.