HENRY S. LEONARD, JR.

October 12, 1930 - November 10, 2020

Henry S. Leonard , Jr.

(1930-2020)

Henry S. Leonard, 90, of DeKalb, Illinois, died November 10, 2020 at Oak Crest, DeKalb Area Retirement Center.

He was born in Needham, Massachusetts on October 12, 1930, the son of Henry S. and Priscilla (Packard) Leonard.  He grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and after graduating from Michigan State University, he began graduate study at Harvard University. In 1953, Henry met Eva Marie Leonard, a graduate student in medieval history, and they were married September 4, 1954.  They lived in Somerville, Massachusetts, while Henry completed his Ph.D. in Mathematics at Harvard.

Henry and Eva moved to Pittsburgh in Fall 1958 where Henry held a position in the Mathematics Department at Carnegie-Mellon University.  Their son Alan was born in 1964.  In 1968, while on sabbatical at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Henry accepted an appointment to the Mathematics Department of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. During his years at NIU, he served as Assistant Departmental Chair and later Director of Graduate Studies. He was also on the University Curriculum Council and mentored many mathematics graduate students.

In DeKalb, Henry was active first at Immanuel Lutheran Church and later at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Together, he and Eva participated in many programs of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. He was also involved with Grace Place Campus Ministry for many years.

Henry was very interested in history and genealogy and derived great pleasure in tracing his ancestry back to the Mayflower and eventually to England. He and Eva traveled all over the United States and Europe and enjoyed visiting museums and historic sites. Locally, they were involved with the Ellwood House Museum and the DeKalb County Historical Society. They enjoyed attending performances of the Kishwaukee Symphony and the Stage Coach Players.

After more than 60 years of marriage, Henry lost his beloved Eva in 2016. In 2017, he married Donetta Wagner Domino, also of Oak Crest Retirement Center. Their marriage brought him joy and companionship during the final three years of his life. Henry is best remembered by his family and friends for his kindness and compassion.

Henry is survived by his son H. Alan (Brenda) Leonard of Cape May, NJ, his grandson Timothy (Judith) Leonard and great-granddaughter Eva Luisa Leonard, all of Hamburg, Germany, his adopted granddaughter Raquel Leonard and great-granddaughter Genesis Jade Archie of Greenville, SC, his nephew Matthew (Josephine) Bendix of Port Washington, NY, and his niece Margo (Steven) Batha of Los Alamos, NM.  He was preceded in death by his parents and by his first wife, Eva Marie Leonard.

There will be a private Memorial Service for Henry (family only) at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, DeKalb, IL on November 17 at 1:00 pm.  Friends and community members are welcome to join the service via Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88636435968?pwd=YUdUM2RiTXBkblczNlBWZkIrakd2UT09 with a password of 003648. Committal and burial will be at 2:00 pm at Fairview Cemetery in DeKalb.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Eva Marie Leonard Memorial Fund at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.  To send an online condolence please visit: www.finchfuneralhomedekalb.com .  Arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.