Leonard Paul Gietz, M.D., 71, of Victoria, Texas passed away on April 19, 2017 at his home in the company of his family after a seven-year battle with colorectal cancer. Born in Pincher Creek, Alberta on June 27, 1945 to the late Eleanora and Ernest Gietz, Leonard was raised in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where he learned the value of hard work and the art of conversation. During his two years at Lethbridge College he was drawn to the most difficult courses offered and found himself well prepared for a career in medicine. Dr. Gietz received his medical degree from University of Alberta in Edmonton, graduating fourth in his class. During his rotating internship in London, Ontario, Leonard met his wife of 47 years, Pinelopi Panelas (better known as Penni), who was then a nurse intern at the same hospital. They married on September 7, 1970 at the Children's Chapel in Storybook Gardens in London, Ontario and the couple moved to Edmonton to continue Leonard's Pathology residency. His true passion for the specialty of Pathology was discovered while studying two years in Hawaii, where the couple's first daughter, Leilani, was born. His Pathology residency was completed in Ottawa, Ontario. With fond memories of warm Hawaiian weather, the young family looked south in search of his first professional opportunity. In the summer of 1975, Dr. Gietz accepted a position with Dr. Paul Obert as a staff pathologist in Victoria, Texas, where their second child, son James, was born. In 1978 the family returned to Honolulu, Hawaii where he joined the U.S. Army as a Major and a Pathology attending physician at Tripler Hospital in Honolulu. During this second stint in Hawaii, Penni and Leonard's second daughter, Tanya, was born. In the summer of 1981, the family of five moved back to Victoria, Texas to join Dr. Eugene Bigelow in his Pathology practice. Shortly thereafter, Bigelow and Gietz became joint owners of Regional Medical Laboratory, providing South Texas with both anatomic and clinical Pathology services. He was truly passionate about serving patients and the medical community throughout his career of over 40 years. Leonard contributed to numerous organizations that carried tremendous meaning for him including the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Trinity Episcopal Church and School, Victoria College, KEDT Center for Educational Broadcasting, the Children's Discovery Museum of the Golden Crescent, and many other nonprofit organizations. He enjoyed the company he kept on the golf course, around the poker table, and in trivia contests like the Knowledge Bowl. A voracious reader, he had an extensive curiosity spanning a full gamut of subjects including science, paleontology, historical fiction, mysteries, and the arts. His unique sense of humor made an impression on everyone he encountered. He was a man of integrity who always cared about doing the right thing above all else. Leonard's legacy is carried on by his wife, Penni Gietz, of Victoria; his daughter, Leilani Valdes, of Victoria and her husband Todd; his son, James Gietz, of Houston and his wife Lesli; his daughter, Tanya Wilkinson, of Victoria and her husband Eddie; his grandchildren Alexander, Nicholas, Caroline, Penelope, Owen, and Grant; his siblings Beverley McLachlin, Conrad Gietz,