Trif Leonte was born Trifon J. Lewontiuk on February 9th, 1928 in Torrance, CA. He was the sixth of seven children born to John and Minadora (Axenty) Lewontiuk. He grew up on Grant Avenue in Redondo Beach close to his grandparents, Procop & Paraschiva Axenty as well as many Aunts, Uncles and cousins who also lived on nearby.
When his father obtained his U.S. Citizenship in 1931, he changed the family name from Lewontiuk to Leonte. Trif's father was tragically killed in a car accident in 1937. When Trif was old enough, he stepped up to help his mother run the family businesses, which included a service station, grocery/mercantile store and a restaurant.
After the War, Trif married Connie Lou Kortina in a small ceremony in Las Vegas, NV on May 2nd, 1948. A year later, they were blessed with their only child, Teona Leonte.
In 1963, Trif had the opportunity to purchase G&G Ranch from his uncle George Axenty, who was looking to retire. The ranch was located in Thermal, CA near the Salton Sea. Trif improved the ranch producing fine quality citrus fruit. He also had a passion for fishing and owned and operated Salton Sea Distributing Co for many years, supplying much of the desert resort community with fresh fish.
When his daughter grew up and married, she continued to live on the ranch in a house just next to her parents and filled the place with four grandkids (Tamara, Charles, Christopher and Chad). Teona and her husband took quite a hand in the operations of the ranch as Trif slowed down and concentrated on his love of fishing. He passed away at home, on the ranch he loved so much on January 11th, 2009. He was just shy of his 81st birthday.
Trif was preceeded in death by his father, John Leonte (1937), mother Minadora (1979), sister Frances (1986), brother Mike (1992), sister Elana (1996), and sister Pauline (2004). He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 60 years, Connie Leonte; daughter Teona Leonte; grandkids, Tamara, Charley, Christopher and Chad Rennie; sister Marlene Robin; brother Ted Leonte; and countless nieces, nephews and cousins across the U.S. and Canada.
When his father obtained his U.S. Citizenship in 1931, he changed the family name from Lewontiuk to Leonte. Trif's father was tragically killed in a car accident in 1937. When Trif was old enough, he stepped up to help his mother run the family businesses, which included a service station, grocery/mercantile store and a restaurant.
After the War, Trif married Connie Lou Kortina in a small ceremony in Las Vegas, NV on May 2nd, 1948. A year later, they were blessed with their only child, Teona Leonte.
In 1963, Trif had the opportunity to purchase G&G Ranch from his uncle George Axenty, who was looking to retire. The ranch was located in Thermal, CA near the Salton Sea. Trif improved the ranch producing fine quality citrus fruit. He also had a passion for fishing and owned and operated Salton Sea Distributing Co for many years, supplying much of the desert resort community with fresh fish.
When his daughter grew up and married, she continued to live on the ranch in a house just next to her parents and filled the place with four grandkids (Tamara, Charles, Christopher and Chad). Teona and her husband took quite a hand in the operations of the ranch as Trif slowed down and concentrated on his love of fishing. He passed away at home, on the ranch he loved so much on January 11th, 2009. He was just shy of his 81st birthday.
Trif was preceeded in death by his father, John Leonte (1937), mother Minadora (1979), sister Frances (1986), brother Mike (1992), sister Elana (1996), and sister Pauline (2004). He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 60 years, Connie Leonte; daughter Teona Leonte; grandkids, Tamara, Charley, Christopher and Chad Rennie; sister Marlene Robin; brother Ted Leonte; and countless nieces, nephews and cousins across the U.S. and Canada.
Trif Leonte was born Trifon J. Lewontiuk on February 9th, 1928 in Torrance, CA. He was the sixth of seven children born to John and Minadora (Axenty) Lewontiuk. He grew up on Grant Avenue in Redondo Beach close to his grandparents, Procop & Paraschiva Axenty as well as many Aunts, Uncles and cousins who also lived on nearby.
When his father obtained his U.S. Citizenship in 1931, he changed the family name from Lewontiuk to Leonte. Trif's father was tragically killed in a car accident in 1937. When Trif was old enough, he stepped up to help his mother run the family businesses, which included a service station, grocery/mercantile store and a restaurant.
After the War, Trif married Connie Lou Kortina in a small ceremony in Las Vegas, NV on May 2nd, 1948. A year later, they were blessed with their only child, Teona Leonte.
In 1963, Trif had the opportunity to purchase G&G Ranch from his uncle George Axenty, who was looking to retire. The ranch was located in Thermal, CA near the Salton Sea. Trif improved the ranch producing fine quality citrus fruit. He also had a passion for fishing and owned and operated Salton Sea Distributing Co for many years, supplying much of the desert resort community with fresh fish.
When his daughter grew up and married, she continued to live on the ranch in a house just next to her parents and filled the place with four grandkids (Tamara, Charles, Christopher and Chad). Teona and her husband took quite a hand in the operations of the ranch as Trif slowed down and concentrated on his love of fishing. He passed away at home, on the ranch he loved so much on January 11th, 2009. He was just shy of his 81st birthday.
Trif was preceeded in death by his father, John Leonte (1937), mother Minadora (1979), sister Frances (1986), brother Mike (1992), sister Elana (1996), and sister Pauline (2004). He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 60 years, Connie Leonte; daughter Teona Leonte; grandkids, Tamara, Charley, Christopher and Chad Rennie; sister Marlene Robin; brother Ted Leonte; and countless nieces, nephews and cousins across the U.S. and Canada.
When his father obtained his U.S. Citizenship in 1931, he changed the family name from Lewontiuk to Leonte. Trif's father was tragically killed in a car accident in 1937. When Trif was old enough, he stepped up to help his mother run the family businesses, which included a service station, grocery/mercantile store and a restaurant.
After the War, Trif married Connie Lou Kortina in a small ceremony in Las Vegas, NV on May 2nd, 1948. A year later, they were blessed with their only child, Teona Leonte.
In 1963, Trif had the opportunity to purchase G&G Ranch from his uncle George Axenty, who was looking to retire. The ranch was located in Thermal, CA near the Salton Sea. Trif improved the ranch producing fine quality citrus fruit. He also had a passion for fishing and owned and operated Salton Sea Distributing Co for many years, supplying much of the desert resort community with fresh fish.
When his daughter grew up and married, she continued to live on the ranch in a house just next to her parents and filled the place with four grandkids (Tamara, Charles, Christopher and Chad). Teona and her husband took quite a hand in the operations of the ranch as Trif slowed down and concentrated on his love of fishing. He passed away at home, on the ranch he loved so much on January 11th, 2009. He was just shy of his 81st birthday.
Trif was preceeded in death by his father, John Leonte (1937), mother Minadora (1979), sister Frances (1986), brother Mike (1992), sister Elana (1996), and sister Pauline (2004). He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 60 years, Connie Leonte; daughter Teona Leonte; grandkids, Tamara, Charley, Christopher and Chad Rennie; sister Marlene Robin; brother Ted Leonte; and countless nieces, nephews and cousins across the U.S. and Canada.
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