Wardwell Coles Leonard, Jr. of Ledyard, CT died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on December 8, 2017. He was 91 years old.
He was born in New Bedford, MA on May 19, 1926 to Wardwell C. Leonard, Sr. and Lilias Sheffield Leonard. He grew up in Tiverton, RI and was predeceased by his parents and brother, John Sheffield Leonard.
When he turned 18 in 1944, Ward joined the Army Air Force and trained as a radio operator. By the time he was stationed in Germany, World War II had ended. Nonetheless, his time there was memorable and a source of stories.
Ward met his wife, Viola Lenk, at Brown University, where they were seated alphabetically in German and chemistry classes. He finished his education at Rochester Institute of Technology, earning a chemistry degree in 1950.
In 1951, Ward started his career as a Quality Control chemist at Pfizer in Groton, CT. In May 1952, he and Viola were married, and in December 1953, they bought their home in Ledyard, where they raised four children. Ward's Pfizer career spanned 45 years. When he retired in 1996 at age 70, he still played the position of catcher on the Pfizer softball team.
Ward had many interests and passions. An outdoor enthusiast, he gardened, canoed the Allagash River in northern Maine, and received a kayak for his eightieth birthday. He enjoyed birdwatching and a good thunderstorm. Every year, he returned to Winona, the camp he attended as a child, for family camp. He loved wilderness camping and shared his love with his family.
Ward was an avid genealogist, researching the Lenk-Leonard family tree. He loved baking, especially bread, perfecting his German Stollen and salt-rising bread recipes. He played the tuba in the Pfizer band and loved opera. He was fascinated by patterns in nature, for example, trying to predict earthquakes and hurricanes. He also enjoyed making furniture.
Ward was a member of the American Chemical Society for more than sixty years and a long-time member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the Rhode Island Genealogical Society. For many years, he served the Ledyard Congregational Church in various roles on the Board of Trustees and as Treasurer of the Ecumenical Society.
Most of all, Ward was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, beloved by his family. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Catherine Leonard of Stow, MA (Tom Porcher), Jennifer Whitney of Ledyard (George), and Sarah Leonard of Roswell, GA (Glenn Maggiola), and his son, Wardwell Leonard III of Concord, MA. He is survived by eight grandchildren (Mark Leonard (Becca Vogt), Faith Sprigg (Ian), Heidi Eilenberger, Emily Levine (Eric), Molly Porcher (Andrew del Calvo), Anthony Maggiola, Samuel Maggiola, and Thomas Maggiola) and three great-grandchildren (Penelope, Atreus, and Josephine).
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, December 16th at 11am at the Ledyard Congregational Church. Donations may be made in Ward's memory to the Ledyard Congregational Church, 722 Colonel Ledyard Highway, Ledyard, CT 06339.
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