Lee Rittenberg Leonard

Lee Rittenberg Leonard, a retired Federal criminal defense attorney, died Saturday, November 30, 2019, after a brief illness. Lee was born in San Francisco on January 2, 1936, just prior to his family relocating to New Orleans. Lee graduated from Alcee Fortier High School, where he excelled in academics and sports and was named "Mr. Fortier" in his senior year. He was awarded a scholarship to Tulane University and graduated from Tulane School of Law. Immediately following law school, he served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of Captain. He was stationed at the Strategic Air Command base in Bangor, Maine during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Lee would later recount that the SAC bases were prime targets during the crisis, and at times his pilot friends would be dispatched at a moment's notice not knowing whether they were going on routine exercises or a bombing mission. Thankfully, the crisis was averted and when his tenure was up, Lee returned to New Orleans in the private practice of law. He later served as Deputy Director of the Federal Public Defender's office and treasured his friendships with many of the U.S. Attorneys and Federal Marshalls he came to know well. Lee was a loyal friend and delightful companion, loved sports, was politically astute and quick-witted, and will be dearly missed by his family and friends. He is predeceased by his parents, Charles Leonard and Miriam Rittenberg Leonard and his brother Dr. Alan J. Leonard (Betty) of Laguna Woods, CA. Survivors include his beloved wife Elizabeth Butler Leonard, his daughters Susan Richoux (Ricky) and Terry A. Leonard (the late Richard Price), his son Dr. Ryan C. Leonard, his two grandsons Blake Barasich and Daniel Lewis, and a host of relatives, friends, and beloved pets. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations in his memory to the American Heart Association.