Chief Petty Officer Joseph J. Leonhart, USNR, Ret., 62, of Antioch, son of the late Charles E. and Anna (Cikrit) Leonhart was born January 2, 1948 in Chicago. He passed away Sunday, October 3, 2010 while vacationing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Joe attended Mark Twain Elementary and Kennedy High Schools in Chicago. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 and served two and a half tours in Vietnam as a heavy duty equipment mechanic. In 1978 he answered the call to serve his country again when he enlisted in the Navy Reserve. Chief Leonhart served as a Seabee heavy equipment operator and retired from military service in 1996 following 24 years of dedication to his country. Joe was always quick to point out, however, that "Once a Marine, always a Marine". Joe relocated to Lake County after his Marine Corps service and on November 27, 1971 he married Jeannine Dow in Antioch. Together they raised three daughters, Jennifer, Jayme and Jessica. He is a former member of the Fox Lake and Antioch Fire Departments. As a civilian, Joe was employed by American Airlines as a fleet service clerk, retiring in 2008 after 23 years of service. He actively pursued genealogy studies and had traced his roots to Sundhouse, Alsace, France as far back as 1650. Joe was a talented handy man and avid gardener. In addition to his many projects around the house, and his genealogical studies, he loved to travel. He was especially proud of his daughters and grandchildren. In addition to his wife, Jeannine and daughters Jennifer (Steve) Beecher, Jayme Bean, and Jessica Leonhart all of Antioch, Joe is survived by his brother, Raymond (Doris) Leonhart of Kingman, AZ; sister-in-law, Fran of Leland, IL; grandchildren, Ben Witt, Janelle and Tayler Bean; step grandchildren, Alyssa, Taylor, Sarah, Willow, Steven, Jr. and Megan Beecher; his mother-in-law Mabel Lou Weber; brothers-in-law Bill (Ruby) Dow, Bob (Debbie) Dow, Joe (Cheryl) Weber and Jim (Becky) Weber; his former sons-in-law Brian Witt and Eric Bean and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Charles J. Leonhart, and his nephew, Randy Leonhart. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 11, 2010 at the United Methodist Church of Antioch, 848 Main Street, Antioch with Pastor Barbara Good, officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in Hillside Cemetery, Antioch. Visitation will be held Sunday, October 10 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at STRANG FUNERAL HOME OF ANTIOCH, 1055 Main St. (Rte. 83) Antioch and on Monday at the church from 10:00 AM until time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his memory may be made to the Lakes Region Historical Society Research Center or the Antioch Rescue Squad.

Published in News Sun from Oct. 8 to Oct. 9, 2010