Paul T. Leonard died peacefully on May 12, 2016, at his home in Saddlebrooke, Arizona after a long battle with multiple conditions. He was 84 years old.  The light of his life, Pat Leonard, his wife of 61 years and best friend was with him. Paul received wonderful care during his illness; a  special thanks to Adam Paredes and Kelly Stewart of By Your Side. 

Paul was born on April 19, 1932, to Michael and Evelyn Welti Leonard. He was raised in Plainview, MN, a small town outside of Rochester, MN. The Leonard family was a pillar in the community. As a young boy, Paul dreamed of “going west”. After frequent relocations, that dream was fully achieved twenty-eight years ago when he chose to retire in Saddlebrooke, a resort community nestled in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains in Arizona.  Paul fell in love with the community and it gave a new meaning to the word “home”. He was elected to be the President of the Saddlebrooke Home Owners Board of Directors during the period that ownership was transferred from the developer, Ed Robson to the homeowners in HOA #1. For the first time in 40 years, Paul had leisure time; he tried to make the most of each and every day.  His suitcase was always packed, ready to go anywhere on a minute’s notice. His favorite trips were always those that involved family. Up until the end, Paul was wanting to plan a family vacation. Paul loved being on or around the ocean; pamphlets from cruise lines were favorites in in the mail.   Paul also loved going to sporting major events, he was very appreciative when he had the opportunity to attend big events like the Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City and several trips to the Indy 500. Paul was never one to rough it; he appreciated the opportunity to attend these events as a VIP. Paul also enjoyed golf and fishing. Health was important to Paul, he was a regular at the Saddlebrooke HOA #1 Fitness Center until his mobility made that impossible.  One of his favorite buddies was his black miniature schnauzer, named Tio.  Paul was involved in a variety of community activities from volunteering at Rancho Vistoso Urgent Care, and then Oro Valley Hospital, to serving on several boards at Oro Valley Country Club and Santa Catalina Catholic Church. Travels or volunteering were enjoyable but Paul’s favorite times were just “hanging” with family.

 Paul joined the JC Penney company in 1950. He was a management trainee in the JCP store in Rochester, MN.  He discovered that he loved the retail business and was a good salesman. His sales numbers always exceeded expectations. Early in his career, he sold a necktie to a young woman, Pat Schoenfelder, who worked at the Mayo Clinic  That particular sale changed both their lives forever; they were married on February 19, 1955. Paul’s journey with the JCP Company surpassed his wildest dreams. He quickly became a JCP man, doing everything the company asked of him and trying to surpass all expectations. He held a number of assignments including Sales and Merchandise Manager, Store Manager and Metro District Manager. Each promotion required Paul and his ever growing family to relocate.  Each promotion was exciting for Paul.  Moves were sometimes difficult for the family, but Paul set the tone……it was part of being a member of the JCP family. Paul’s career path allowed the family to “see the world” or to be specific: live in 9 states and Europe. In 1978, Paul was asked to take a 3 year assignment in Milan, Italy, to develop and implement a strategy for the 300 La Rinascente Department Stores owned by the JCP company. This departure from the traditional JCP career path was a big decision and risky, but Paul could not resist the temptation to further expand his horizons. In that 3 year period, La Rinascente went from a struggling operation posting losses for 5 consecutive years to a profitable and growing organization on the road to becoming a respectable European retailer. This stint in was Italy full of adventures, Paul dreamed of speaking Italian fluently, but quickly abandoned that idea and decided that it would be much easier to rely on the employees of La Rinascente who spoke English. 

Throughout his career, Paul was known by all for striving for excellence.  He was always anxious to look for new opportunities to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of his team or the company.  Paul did not like the phrase—“This is the way we always have done things”.  He had high integrity and also strived to be fair. Some of Paul’s most difficult decisions were those involving closing stores  or laying off people.  He always felt compassion for the individuals and the families involved. After his retirement, Paul and his wife had the honor and pleasure of giving retirement  seminars the for JCP Company across the country . This allowed them to rekindle old friendships and meet new people who would soon retire. Also, Paul was always eager to share his “humble opinion” with anyone on any topic.

Given the demands of Paul’s positions coupled with his personal drive, it might have been easy for him to let the JCP Company consume his life, but Paul would not let that happen. Paul was involved in every community that he lived; when Paul moved into a new city, he thought it was important to embrace civic activities. First and foremost, Paul worked hard to be present at his children’s activities be it band concerts, horse shows, athletic events, plays or recitals.

Paul might race in just as the event started, loosening his tie, but he wanted to be there to share in his child’s interest and joy.

Given the high bar that Paul set for himself throughout life, it is not surprising that he instilled a strong work ethic and drive into his children. He always made it clear that he did not care the path or profession that each child pursued, but it was important that they work hard to be the “very best”. His children and their children have heeded those words; they have all chosen very

diverse paths in life. They have lived up to his legacy and have made him proud.  He is survived by his children: Denise (Deni) & Dennis Dickson of Indianapolis and Saddlebrooke; Lori & Jon Wheeler of Walla Walla, WA; Paul T. Leonard, Jr. and Denise of Hayden Lake, ID; Mary Leonard of Los Angeles, CA and their foster son, Hank L. Phan of Murietta, CA.

He is also survived by eight grandchildren; Jonathan Wheeler, Nicole Clemens (Kellen), Cassie Glondo (Vincent), Paul T. Leonard III (Trey and Mary), Jamie Wheeler,  Brittany Ratelle (Michael), Madison Leonard and Hannah Leonard as well as 12  great grandchildren; Beckham & Samantha Wheeler, Kate, Grant & Scarlett Clemens; Gracie, Dominic & Gianna Glondo, Eleanor, Charlotte, Emmett Ratelle and Liv Leonard. He is also survived by his brother, Phillip Leonard, his sister Mary Bassett, and 69 nieces and nephews. Paul left behind countless friends who loved and respected him. You might also know him by one of his nicknames: Pauli, Pops, the Major, Papino, Daddy-0, Papasan, Slim, Nonno and Big N.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to Santa Catalina Catholic Church (14380 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85737 Attention: Susan Budrow) or Hospice Family Care (6300 El Dorado Plaza, Suite 100, Tucson, AZ 85755 Attention: Robin Perez). Please make donations in Memory of Paul T. Leonard.