Posted on 10/16/2017
Joseph Mario Leonardi Sr.
Born August 24th, 1940 New York, NY, passed in North Chemung, October 1st, 2017; raised in Little Falls, NJ; resided in North Chemung for many years after working and residing in Little Falls NJ and Melbourne, Australia.
He spent the majority of his career as the owner and operator of Maria's, an eponymous family pasta and ravioli business founded by his late mother Maria in Clifton, NJ.
Survived by: His five children: Joseph M. Leonardi Jr. of Little Falls, NJ; June M. Leonardi of Glen Mills, PA; Jina M. Leonardi of Oreland, PA; Joy A. Langevin of Little Falls, NJ; Jamie M. Ash of Apalachin, NY and the mother of his five children, June S. Leonardi of Little Falls, NJ. Twenty grandchildren: Anna Leonardi, Alexander Leonardi, Emily Wenger, Zachary Wenger, Ava Wenger, Michaela Leonardi, Benjamin Buentello, Pia Buentello, Charles Buentello, James Buentello, Elizabeth Buentello, Thomas Buentello, Gabriela Buentello, Katherine Buentello, Jason Langevin, Victoria Langevin, Julia Mazzarese, David Mazzarese, Joshua Mazzarese, Nathan Ash. His cousin: Arthur MacDonald of Tafton, PA and North Chemung, NY.
Joseph was an urbane country gentleman and cosmopolitan world traveler; inspirationally exemplary, supportive, loving and selfless father of five; fiercely self-reliant family man, friend and American with his unique flare of eccentricity; modern-day flannel-shirted Renaissance man, hopelessly romantic, scientifically, artistically, musically and poetically gifted with an intellectual brilliance far beyond that gleaned from his studies and graduation from the United States Naval Academy; . . . ultimately, a man with a breadth of life that enunciation in these necessarily brief lines cannot begin to do justice.
Please help us paint a fuller picture of his life by joining us and sharing at a Memorial Remembrance, 2:00 PM on October 21st at his home, 2229 Ridge Road, Lowman, NY 14861.
No flowers or donations please.
Published in Star-Gazette on Oct. 15, 2017