Paul Emmett Leaverton

Paul Emmett Leaverton, PhD, age 90, passed away peacefully with his beloved wife, Su, by his side on April 25, 2025, in Tampa, Florida.
He was born on July 30, 1934, in Irvington, Iowa, to Paul and Muriel (Body) Leaverton. Paul graduated from Indianola High School and earned his doctorate in biostatistics from Iowa State University in 1963. He served two years in the Army in the Public Health Service in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul dedicated his life to advancing public health and education. He was a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Iowa College of Medicine before joining the National Center for Health Statistics in Rockville, Maryland, and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Later, he founded and chaired the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics College of Public Health at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He retired from USF in 2001 with the title of Professor Emeritus. His distinguished academic career earned him the Professorial Excellence Program Award and the USF Health Science Center Distinguished Teaching Award. He coauthored two books and published over 100 scholarly manuscripts on biostatistics and epidemiology.
Paul married Pauline (Kinney) Leaverton in 1956, and they later divorced. In 1988, he married Su (Saepang) in Tampa, and they shared many joyful years together.
Paul had a deep passion for sports, especially cheering for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State Cyclones, and Tampa sports teams. He was also a fan of Dixieland jazz music and was an avid reader. His wit and love for his family will be missed.
He is survived by his sons, Scott (Cheryl Fiala) and Tom (Tana) Leaverton; his grandchildren, Holly (Eric) Sitzmann, Emily (Jake Jerome) Leaverton, Chloe Leaverton, Michael Schmitt, and Tommy Schmitt; and his great-grandchildren, Emmett and Evelyn Sitzmann.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Joan Smith, Norma Sandven, and Eileen Leaverton; brother Don Leaverton; and his great-granddaughter, Eleanor (Ellie) Sitzmann.
A celebration of life will be held on Monday, May 12 from 2 to 5 pm at the Arbor Greene Community Center Gathering Room at 18000 Arbor Greene Dr in Tampa to honor Paul's memory and legacy.
Memorials in Paul's honor can be directed to Don't Kiss the Babies, dktb.org a foundation dedicated to the health and well-being of babies and young children, established in memory of his first great-granddaughter, Ellie.
Arrangements Entrusted to ScrivensJohnson Mortuary & Crematorium.