Joseph K. LEINBACH

1934 - 2018

Joseph K. Leinbach, 83, of Juno Beach, FL, formerly of Stuart, FL and of Westfield, NJ, passed away after a short hospitalization in Jupiter, FL on March 1, 2018. Joe was born on Halloween day in 1934 in New York City. Joe later graduated from Cornell University in 1957 where he was in the Navy ROTC program and a proud member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. He served as a Lieutenant stationed in Honolulu, HI where he met and married his wife, Wilida Wells Leinbach. They were married for 58 years. Joe was a longtime resident of both Westfield, NJ and Stuart, FL. Since 2016 he lived with his wife at the "wonderful" Waterford in Juno Beach, FL. In New Jersey he was Vice President of Midlantic National Bank (later PNC bank) before his retirement. At PNC bank he was proud to be an investment banker and a creator of the Compass Mutual Fund. In Westfield, he was a member of the First Baptist Church and later a member and on the board of the First Presbyterian Church. His proudest accomplishment in Westfield was to help create the Westfield Senior Citizens Housing, a development for low-income seniors. Joe and Wilida retired to Stuart, FL in 1998 where he became involved in their Mariner Sands community and volunteered in many organizations for 19 years. Joe was known to be very civic-minded and proud to help out people in need. At Mariner Sands he served on the Board of the Mariner Sands community and was treasurer of the Mariner Sands Chapel both for three years. He loved traveling the world, playing tennis, and sailing. Joe was a member of the Sailing Club of Stuart. He served as a volunteer for the SAR organization where he was part of many dedication ceremonies that gave an American flag to each new owner of a Habitat for Humanity house. His love of ocean and marine life led him to be a tour guide and volunteer at the nearby Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center for ten years. Joe is survived by a loving family: his wife of 58 years Wilida Leinbach (Juno Beach, FL), his son Paul (Perrin, TX), his daughter Lana Yaney and her husband Gordon (Braintree, MA). In the last few days of his life Joe said, "I know I am a great Grandpa" and was always was a dedicated grandfather to his two grandchildren: Abigail and William. Private burial services will be at South Florida National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at the Mariner Sands Chapel at a future date. Donations in Joe's memory may be made to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, 890 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, or your local Habitat for Humanity chapter (habitat.org or habitatpbc.org).