Leonard, Lawrence "Larry" J.
Lawrence “Larry” J. Leonard, 91, of East Hartford, son of the late Joseph and Mary (Stanley) Leonard, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 9, 2024 after a long, courageous battle with dementia. He leaves behind his loving wife of 65 years, Camille (Begin) Leonard of East Hartford; two daughters, Linda Futtner and her husband Henry of East Hartford, Catherine Hogan and her husband Matthew of Newport, NH; a son, Joseph Leonard and his wife Valetta of Brighton, MI; fourteen special grandchildren, Bridget, Mary, Kelly, Anne, Monica, Allison, Brendan, Brian, Thomas, John, Jacinta, Nicholas, Peter, and Joseph; and eleven adored great-grandchildren. In addition, Larry leaves his brother, James Leonard and his wife Elta of Columbia; a sister-in-law, Elaine Gilbert and her husband Tom of East Hartford; a brother-in-law, Roland Begin and his wife Barbara of Glastonbury; and a sister-in-law, Connie Leonard of Vernon. He also leaves many loving nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Besides his parents, Larry was predeceased by two brothers, Donald Leonard and his wife Mabel of East Hartford Gerald Leonard of Vernon; a sister-in-law, Janet Risley; and two nephews, Timothy Gilbert and James Begin.
Larry was born on March 22, 1932 at Hartford Hospital and raised in East Hartford. He graduated from East Hartford High School, class of 1951 where he was a standout pitcher and basketball player. He worked at Western Electric before being drafted into the U.S. Army for service during the Korean Conflict where he earned a Bronze Star with Valor. He continued with Western Electric upon his return, retiring in 1992. He continued to enjoy playing softball for many years with both the Dovelettes in East Hartford and the Codgers in Vero Beach, Florida where he retired with Camille for 24 years. He dedicated many years coaching youth sports through the East Hartford Park & Recreation department.
If you were a friend of Larry, you were a friend for life. He made a point to keep in close contact with many childhood friends and was often on the telephone checking up on friends and grandchildren. He was a man of faith and was a former member of the Knights of Columbus, Rev. J.C. Martin Council #3901 of East Hartford.
Funeral service will be Monday (March 18, 2024) with a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 10:30 am at St. Christopher Church of St. Edmund Campion Parish, 538 Brewer Street, East Hartford. Everyone has been asked to please go directly to the church on Monday morning. Burial with military honors will follow at the State Veterans' Cemetery, Bow Lane, Middletown. Calling hours will be held on Sunday (March 17, 2024) from 3 – 6 pm at the D'esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Larry's name may be made to a favorite charity of the donor's choice. Larry's family would like to thank the staff at the John C. Levitow Veterans Health Center in Rocky Hill for their outstanding and compassionate care given to Larry and his entire family. For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopoeh.com.