Bill Leonard was known for his sly humor, commitment to family, strong work ethic, and deep faith.

Bill was born on November 23, 1930 in Yeadon, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia. He was the middle child, with an older sister Nancy who died of scarlet fever when he was 5, and a younger sister Ruth who died in 2009. As a child, he loved his family vacations in Ocean City, New Jersey and maintained a lifelong love of the beach. In fact, when he was 14, he met his future wife Joan, then 13, while at their summer home in Ocean City.

Bill graduated from Yeadon High School, then earned his Bachelor's in Finance from Penn State before beginning an MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

After the start of the Korean War, Bill left the Wharton School to attend the United States Navy's Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned in May 1952. He and Joan married in June 1952.

Bill was deployed on the USS Bennington. Having served a night watch, he was in his bunk at 6:11 am on May 26, 1954, when most of the officers were in the Ward Room. A catapult explosion tore through the forward section of the ship causing death or injury to 220 officers and crewmen. As one of the few officers whose life was spared, Bill assumed watch as Assistant Officer of the Deck until the ship returned safely to port. He received a letter commending his "outstanding performance of duty during the emergency" as he "stood on alert, quiet, and efficient watch, thereby relieving the Commanding Officer of concern for the safe conning of the ship" in the midst of the chaos of trapped and wounded personnel and a disabled ship. Bill was next deployed as a Gunnery Officer on the USS Ticonderoga before completing his Naval service as the Naval Liaison at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

After leaving the Navy in 1957, Bill, Joan and their young son Keith moved to Haddonfield, New Jersey while he worked in Philadelphia as a mortgage banker. Bill, Joan and Eric moved to Naples, Florida after Bill recovered from a life-threatening bout with Crohn's disease. As much as he and Joan enjoyed Florida, they missed their lives in Pennsylvania and returned after 7 years, where he continued to work as a mortgage banker.

In 1963, Bill, Joan, Keith and Craig moved to Barclay Farms, a new development in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and became fast friends with 6 other couples with whom they enjoyed weekly bridge games and raising their families together. Years later, after the families had all moved away, Bill organized the Barclay Reunion Group, which held annual reunions and maintained their friendships over decades.

Bill was a devoted caregiver for his wife Joan until she died in January 1998, at age 66. In May of that year, his daughter-in-law Tracie introduced him to her friend Jill, and after a whirlwind courtship fueled by their mutual commitments to God and family, Bill and Jill married on March 20, 1999. Over their 21 years together, they enjoyed travels to everywhere from Hawaii to Russia, including an adventure trip to Costa Rica that featured ziplining, horseback riding up a steep mountain, and whitewater rafting. In recent years, if one of his stepchildren asked, "How are you, Bill," he answered, "I'm wonderful! How could I not be? I'm married to your mother!"

His memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Broadneck E. P. Church, 235 Bay Dale Drive, Arnold MD 21012 at 11:30 am. Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to Broadneck Evangelical Presbyterian Church Missions, 235 Bay Dale Dr, Arnold, MD 21012.