John T. Leyland MD.

J ohn T. Leyland, M.D., 79, of East Peoria, Illinois, passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home. He was born June 16, 1945, in Peoria at St. Francis Hospital, the late-in-life, only child of Thomas and Flora (McNamee) Leyland.
John attended Peoria's St. Bernard Grade School, Class of 1959, where he was a member of BSA Troop 5 and an Eagle Scout. After graduating from Spalding Institute in 1963, he attended Loyola University in Chicago. He received his medical degree from Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine in 1970.
He married the former Marilyn Voss on May 16, 1970, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Peoria.
John then served a rotating internship at Evanston Hospital, and a year as an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. He went on active duty from 1972-74 with the U.S. Navy Medical Corps Reserve, assigned as medical officer for Destroyer Squadron Six, based in Charleston, S.C. He had always loved ships and opted for sea duty whenever possible. He returned to Chicago for a residency in anesthesiology at Northwestern University Medical Center, from July 1974 through 1976.
In January 1977, he joined the Associated Anesthesiologists, S.C. of Peoria, supplying anesthesia services to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Methodist Medical Center, Proctor Community Hospital and several outpatient surgical centers. He served as Director of Anesthesia (1987-89) and chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at Saint Francis from 1987-90. He also served as Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria for 27 years. During that time he taught a workshop in endotracheal intubation to students during their surgery rotation. He retired in 2005.
John started his traveling throughout the world during his Navy time and continued ever afterwards with Marilyn. As a Navy wife, she had joined him in ports in the Mediterranean and South America. They continued to enjoy traveling with their two sons. John also enjoyed sailing from Peoria's IVY Club and ship model building, among other activities. His ship models won awards including Best of Show at the First World Model Soldier Exposition in Washington, D.C., in 1993; the Chicago Medal for Continued Excellence by the Military Miniature Society of Illinois; and numerous other awards including Most Popular Model and Best Ship at national conventions of the International Plastic Modelers' Society. Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry displayed his diorama of the capture of the U-505 when the exhibit of the submarine itself was being reconstructed. The magazine Fine Scale Modeler featured "John Leyland's Incredible Carriers" on the cover and inside its February 2001 issue. His major works cover each decade of the history of naval aviation.
John's love of history focused on Peoria history as well as that of the Navy. Both he and his wife served as history tour guides for the Peoria Historical Society, developing new themes and routes and presenting talks on various topics of historical interest for Bradley's OLLI program as well as for PHS. The Peoria Historical Society honored both John and Marilyn with the Society's 2024 Henri de Tonti Award for Outstanding Community Leadership.
He is survived by wife Marilyn Jeanne (Voss) Leyland, son John T. Leyland, II, M.D., son Thomas E. Leyland, son John's wife Sheena Kim and granddaughter Vivienne Leyland-Kim. Special McNamee, Wolfer and Leyland "cousins" and Marilyn's extended family, which includes her four surviving siblings, five spouses, their 17 children and their 27 offspring were among the special people in his life, as were close boyhood friendships he maintained and cherished for more than 70 years.
Visitation is from 5-7 PM on Friday, March 21, 2025 at Wright & Salmon Mortuary. Memorial Mass is on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 10:30 AM with a one hour prior visitation at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Bartonville, IL. Burial of Ashes will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in West Peoria, IL.
Memorials may be made to Peoria Historical Society, 611 SW Washington St., Peoria, IL 61602.
Tributes and condolences may be left at www.wrightandsalmon.com