Leon Paul Angelich Jr.

Leon Paul Angelich, Jr. was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on November 27, 1962, the 5th child of 6, raised in the loving Catholic home of an Air Force family. His handsome dad, Leon Paul Angelich, Sr., was a fighter pilot and his beautiful mother, Mary Housner Angelich, was a classically trained ballet dancer, who chose marriage and a family over a career with the Chicago City Ballet.

In his early childhood, Leon lived in or around military bases in Nebraska, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Michigan and spent summers in Wisconsin. The Angelich family, including Leon's siblings, Casey, Zeta, Lauren, Anita, and Romie, arrived in Austin, Texas in October 1972 and made Texas home. Leon was raised with a lot of love and good humor in a house in which every occasion was a reason to throw a party, and with an open-door policy welcoming all to join the chaos.

Quick to make friends, Leon was liked by everyone he met. He attended Zilker Elementary, Joslin 6th Grade Center, O. Henry Junior High, Austin High Class of 1981, and Southwest Texas State University. He was a voracious reader, an avid Packers fan, and a huge film buff. He did not waste time on anything he did not enjoy, and if he told you something was good, he was always right.

Leon was blessed with good looks, a sharp wit, and a contagious laugh. Depending on when you saw him he looked like Patrick Swayze or Chris Farley and could have played either in their famous SNL sketch as male dancers. Learning the skill from his father, he had a successful business specializing in wallpaper, which he aptly called Leon's Hang Ups. His siblings described Leon as a charming bad boy that you could count on most of the time.

His first marriage to Julie Peters gave him an amazing and talented daughter Alexandra Angelich. Alex and her husband Nate Bolling are parents to Leon's 3-year old granddaughter Regina. In addition to his grieving mother, surviving brother and sisters, and several nieces and nephews, Leon leaves behind his loving wife Lori Whittenton, step-son Chris, daughter-in-law Elizabeth, 6-year old granddaughter Shannon, and long-time close friend and worker Cheo Martinez, who was like a brother to him. Leon passed away exactly 12 years, to the day, after his older sister Lauren's death.

Leon died at age 56 on February 12, 2019 in Austin, Texas surrounded by loved ones after a brief hospitalization where all options had been explored, before a peaceful transition at Christopher House. Leon, who knew that no one was better or worse than him, loved the life he led and those he led it with. Leon, the King, left us all too soon.

A celebration of Leon's life will be held from 2-5 PM on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 at Haymaker, 2310 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722. Flowers and funny stories are welcome, but doing good deeds for others in Leon's memory is his style, too. He always gave money and food to the homeless and would be happy to know others will do the same.