Leonard W. Smith was born April 9, 1945, in Denver, Colorado, to Leonard W. and Mary Lee (Park) Smith, Sr. He passed away in Imperial, Nebraska, December 26, 2023.
He attended Catholic schools in Denver and graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in 1963.
In May of 1964 Leonard enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was trained and served as a photo lab specialist as a part of the Second Battalion of Military Intelligence. He served in Great Britain and Germany.
Following his military service, he and his wife Christine who he met and married in Scotland moved to his hometown of Denver. To this union a son David P.S. Smith was born.
Following a divorce Leonard continued to live in Denver and hold various jobs. While driving for Yellow Cab he met driver Julie Chandler. They married in 1975. They had one son Nathan prior to moving to Imperial, Nebraska. Two more children were born, Matthew and Sarah.
The children were raised in Imperial and Leonard and Julie continued living there until his death.
Leonard had various interests and various occupations throughout his life. He sold photography equipment, drove a cab and moved to Imperial to work for the natural gas company.
In 1989 the couple bought The Colonial Kitchen, a donut shop and restaurant, which was much appreciated for its excellent donuts and baked goods.
Following the sale of the “donut barn” Leonard worked several jobs until he became an over-the-road trucker until he retired in 2010.
Leonard was an avid and lifelong learner. He intensely studied a variety of subjects including photography, aquarium fish, gardening, bread baking, bird watching, British and American history, and genealogy. His latest field of study was forests and mycology. He bought books on all these subjects and other interests. He enjoyed social media, and his Facebook friends in Turkey, Russia, and other nations and around the U.S.
He was preceded in death by his parents and recently his sister Therese.
Leonard is survived by his wife Julie, brothers Michael and Frank of Washington State, sons David (Elizabeth) of Old Fort, Tennessee, Nathan (Nancy) of Ankeny, Iowa, and Matthew (Vicki) of Grant, Nebraska, and his daughter Sarah (Lance) Chandler-Butler of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and grandchildren Marc, Alex, Mike, Mark, Will, Ethan, Elijah and Eliana.
A Celebration of Life to honor Leonard will be held at a later date in the spring.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Audubon Society or a conservation organization of your choice.