Leigh N. Bortner, fleet leasing executive
Leigh N. Bortner, a retired fleet leasing executive and avid sailor, died Oct. 11 from complications of dementia at the Blakehurst Retirement Community in Towson. He was 86.
Leigh Norris Bortner was born in Baltimore and raised in Homeland. He was the son of Stan Bortner, an office building manager, and Ruth Bortner, a secretary.
After graduating in 1950 from The McDonogh School, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in 1954 from the University of Virginia, where he played varsity lacrosse for four years.
In 1954 he joined Peterson, Howell & Heather — also known as PHH — a fleet management and leasing firm. For the next 45 years he worked in its fleet management division, and retired in 1999.
In 1966 he married the former Ingrid Mary Lamborn, a native of Norway and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.
After retiring, Mr. Bortner volunteered with the United Way; family members said he was responsible for setting up its first planned giving program. Mr. Bortner also tutored and mentored students at Roland Park Elementary School.
He was an inveterate Chesapeake Bay sailor. He also enjoyed skiing in New England and the West. He and his wife were world travelers.
A former resident of Homeland and Cloisters, he had lived at Blakehurst since 2015.
Mr. Bortner was a communicant of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St., where funeral services will be held in the chapel at 11 a.m. today.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Bortner is survived by a son, Bret Bortner of Ruxton; a daughter, Birgitta Willikamson of Nashville; and five grandchildren.
Mr. Karen was born Jacob Karnovsky in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
On Twitter Kevin Smith, Gilbert Gottfried and Joe Mantegna were among those sharing tributes. His admirers also included George Clooney. When Mr. Clooney received a lifetime achievement award from The American Film Institute this year, he spoke about Mr. Karen. He recalled years ago getting a call from his wife, Alba, who told Mr. Clooney that her husband was near death and wanted him to write his obituary.
“I spent the whole night writing about who I thought Jimmy was, his character, what he meant to us,” Mr. Clooney said. “A week goes by, then a month.
“That was four years ago. I called Alba and said, ‘What the hell?’ She said ‘Yeah, Jimmy's doing fine. He just wanted to know what everyone thought about him while he was still alive. He got a bunch of people to do it.’”