Adele P. Leonard

Leonard, Adele P. (Florek)

Geneva/Elmira-Horseheads/Philadelphia: Adele P. Leonard died with her family by her side on Friday evening, September 26, 2014 in Geneva, NY at the age of 90. Family and friends are invited to a Memorial Mass on Monday, October 13, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Mary Our Mother Church, 816 West Broad Street, Horseheads, NY. Private interment at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Adele's memory with a donation to Notre Dame High School, 1400 Maple Avenue, Elmira, NY 14904, or to any Catholic school or college of your choice; the Anatomical Gift Program, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210; or to the Taub Institute for Alzheimer's and Related Dementia Diseases Research, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, P & S Box 16, New York, NY 10032. Adele was born Adela Patricia Florek on May 7, 1924 in Philadelphia, PA, the 11th of 12 children of Mary Louise "Maryanna" (Brodzik) and Floryan W. Florek. She graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1941 and was a member of the Class of 1945 at Rosemont (PA) College. At 19, Adele became the bride of Joseph F. Sawicki, Jr (2LT and pilot, U.S. Army Air Corps) and was widowed just weeks later when he was shot down over France during WWII. She received notification of his death the following year, in June 1944. Adele married John F. X. Leonard, Jr. on June 14, 1946 in Philadelphia, PA. They enjoyed 50 devoted, fun and funny, always-adventurous years of marriage centered on their Catholic faith and their large family until Jack's death on June 13, 1996. Adele is survived by their children: John F. X. III (Margaret), Patricia M. (Richard Brown), James F. (Kathleen), Anne Marie "Amy" (Jerry Guthrie), Mary Elizabeth "Mel" (Felix Savala), Joan A. (Timothy Karski), and Joseph F. Leonard; 20 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by grandson Jacob J. Leonard and great-grandson Tate Caskey. Adele was a huge fan of dancing, the arts, national and international travel, sports, and volunteerism. Her favorite spots in the world were anywhere her kids and husband Jack were, any Adoration Chapel and Catholic Church for Mass, the Jersey Shore, New Smyrna Beach, FL, and cruise ships. She enjoyed a good card game and was a ranked Bridge Master. Adele was a prolific artist into her 80s. After college, Adele was a chemist for DuPont Chemicals. Later, along with her family responsibilities, Adele's professional life included service as a substitute teacher in private and public schools in all K-12 subject areas. She later worked full time for the Federal Social Security Administration until her retirement. Adele was an ever-willing volunteer for Catholic schools and parishes where the family lived in the Philadelphia area and in New York's Southern Tier. She founded the school library for St. Mary Our Mother School in Horseheads and devoted countless hours there and at Elmira's Notre Dame High School, from which all her children graduated. Additionally, Adele served her community as a committed volunteer, such as for the LPGA in Corning, NY, the National War Plane Museum at the Chemung County (NY) Airport, Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach, FL, and especially for St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira. Adele's family wishes to sincerely thank the dedicated staffs of Comfort Keepers, Pittsford, NY; Companion Care of Rochester; Ontario-Yates Hospice; and Seneca Lake Terrace and Finger Lakes Health Living Center North-1 in Geneva for their care of Adele over the past several years.