William August Leonard

William A. (Bill) Leonard of Griffith passed away peacefully at home at the age of 99 on March 14, 2023, surrounded by family.  He is survived by his children: Lauren (Vince) Sudeta of West Point, NE; Rosemary of Griffith; Roberta Gettler of Crown Point; Kathleen (Dennis) Maloney of Orlando, FL; Lawrence (Paula) of Channahon, IL: Thomas (Mary) of New River, AZ; John (Kenneth) of Madison, WI; Anna (Daniel) Knaver of Crown Point; Mary (James) Bohney of Mooresville, IN; Susan Bujna of Carmel, IN; Jeanne (Daniel) Ritari of Big Lake, MN; Nancy (Louis) Kesthely of Olympia, WA; 36 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by Katherine, his wife of 68 years; his brothers, Harold, and Robert; his grandsons Andrew and Ryan Bujna; and his son-in-law John Gettler.

Bill was born and raised in Chicago where he graduated from Hirsch High School.  He served in the U.S. Army as a Technical Sergeant in Algiers, North Africa and Santa Maria, Italy during World War II. He earned a BA in Business Management from St. Joseph College in 1966, after 25 years of part-time schooling while working full time and raising a family.  He retired from Inland Steel in 1986 after 44 years of service as a supervisor in the Mail Services, Microfilm, and Records Retention departments. Bill was a willing volunteer in numerous capacities at St. Mary Church and School.  He and his wife spent his long retirement traveling to visit their children.  His motto was, “Have paint brush, will travel,” and he painted walls and mowed lawns all over the country. Bill lived a remarkable life spanning 100 years of history and kept his sense of humor right to the end.

Friends and family are invited to visit with the family at White Funeral Home located at 921 W. Glen Park (45th) Ave. Griffith, Indiana on Sunday, March 19, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church in Griffith, on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 10 a.m. with visitation at 9 a.m. Burial will follow at Holy Name Catholic Cemetery in Cedar Lake.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Mary Catholic School in Griffith or a veteran's charity of your choice.

For additional information please contact us at (219) 924-4100 or visit us at www.whitefuneralhomeofgriffith.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William August Leonard, please visit our floral store.