Tribute to Uncle Jack
John Arthur Leonard (Uncle Jack) a very much loved man. Key words come to mind for me when I reflect on him and the touches he made on my life. First, he was my Uncle and also my Godfather. I also see him as a creative genius just like I do my father, Uncle Jack’s oldest brother Wade. I see those skills in my other Leonard brother Uncle’s Art and James. The Leonard Brothers were a force to be reckoned with and what an honor to be called a Leonard and be part of this family tree.
The skills that Uncle Jack imparted to me, have helped me in my two careers of Broadcasting and teaching. Growing up Uncle Jack supported all his children and nieces and nephews by sharing stories. He was a great storyteller ( just like his Dad) and this continued in to the lives of his grandchildren and great nieces and nephews. His stories of his career jobs that he did were riveting. They were enlarged with details that made you want more. Those stories started in his childhood. Family stories of removing a tree for playing baseball was told to all generations who would hear. Uncle Jack loved his Cleveland Indians. There is also his college experiment of understanding starch levels in mashed potatoes. It has been told of the years that Uncle Jack at one point tested his mothers cooking skills by flinging the potatoes at the dinning room window. If you knew Jack’s parents, then you knew how well this activity went over. (LOL)There are the stories of the Uncle Jack’s courtship with Aunt Cathie but we will just let some stories be oral tradition.
Stories would continue to grow as families grew. One vacation when Wade Leonard’s visited the Jack Leonard’s in Raleigh, North Carolina a motion picture was born. Uncle Jack and family moved into a new subdivision that birth the movie “Arbor Day”. Jack designed the story around the fact the children of this family wanted to give their parents a present for taking care of them. SOO for Arbor Day (save the trees idea) the kids would build their parents a house. Uncle Jack’s subdivision provided all the set and props need that would make George Lucas cry. This movie is in the process of being transferred to thumb drive since the video camera it was recorded on, no longer works.
On these vacations there were also language education classes and cooking shows before they were popular on PBS. Language classes included the ever-popular PIG-LATIN and with the BBQ cooking shows it was a big treat. Uncle Jack was a linguist. He relished in the language of his German and Polish heritage by teaching language skills. Helping his students with saying the word and the understanding of the origination of such word. It wouldn’t be a class with out Uncle Jack saying something like: “siujrhbiurtvhaishvunobditeriocopemoritboib” which means “Someday the Cleveland Indians will win the World Series”. We all loved his hope messages. I use this language when I teach older high school students. To this day even though they are older and have their own families we still look, smile and speak the way Uncle Jack displayed.
Uncle Jack was also gifted with writing songs. Music is something all the Leonard brothers shared in with different skills. Jack’s brother James is a sound engineer, brother Art can play guitar and sing, late brother Wade was also a lyric writer (he rewrote musicals) and Uncle Jack was brilliant at rewriting jingles and songs. Jack rewrote the Oscar Mayer jingle to highlight his sister-in-law’s skills at making gravy for hotdogs. Uncle Jack’s favorite song to rewrite was the Gordon Lightfoot classic “Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald”. This song is looked upon as great song for radio broadcasters when one is sick at work. The 10-minute length of the song can help in a time of need. Uncle Jack has rewritten the song for the holiday of thanksgiving and other events less known. OH the fun we had collaborating. I rewrote the very same song for their 50th wedding anniversary.
I have been very blessed to be born into this family. I was blessed to have an Uncle/Godfather who will forever have made the impression of the value family and learn skills that last a life time. Uncle Jack – I love you, I will miss you and “ isjdrobhjopsinorgjmovjiosnlaibanoahs—nice driveway”. Love--  Lori

Dad is remembered lovingly for his inability to remember movie quotes correctly, his love of Miracle Whip salad dressing and Velveeta on sandwiches, and his willingness to seek out pickled foods of every sort. There was no task, however small, that he wouldn’t put off until he had been reminded about it 1,000 times. He was as an avid Cleveland-sports fan which rarely brought him any joy. He asked about tomorrow night’s dinner while you were eating today’s. His gastronomic interests were diverse and at times, unappetizing. He loved Lady Vols basketball and UT men’s baseball -- both of which he followed closely. He regaled us with ridiculous stories and created ear-splittingly hilarious songs that remain favorites of his children, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren. He was a top notch photographer and, to the annoyance of his starving family, he forced us all to wait so he could photograph every Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner prior to consumption. He was a kind, affable person who never met a neighbor, cashier, or server he didn’t want to talk to for a little too long. His taste in movies, music, comic books and other pop culture was dated and often questionable, but his collection of graphic novels, comic books, MAD magazines, DVD’s and CD’s is enviable. As a kids soccer coach who never played the game, his advice to “take it to the corner and cross it” remains on point. We hope he has found peaceful waters where the fish are plentiful and biting. We will remember him with all of our love and already miss him terribly.