Gerald R. Leonard

Funeral: Service to be held at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on Monday, July 11, 2016, from 2:20-3p.

Gerry was born in Minneapolis, MN on November 6, 1935, to A. Dewey and Claire Leonard, and graduated from De La Salle High School in 1953. With the Air Force and Air National Guard he traveled extensively with both domestic posts and foreign assignments, most notably flying the F-105 Thunderchief (the “Thud”) fighter-bomber and the F-89J Scorpion, and was a graduate of the Air War College at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL. He served in an USAF/Air National Guard liaison post in Duluth, MN and eventually retired his wings after decades of service as a Captain with American Airlines and as a Lieutenant Colonel with the AF/ANG.

Gerry is survived by his three children: Jason Watson of Minneapolis; Jennifer Leonard of Chicago, IL; and Christopher Leonard of Arlington; a sister, Catherine Hartman of Minneapolis, and brother Richard (Dick) Leonard of Mobridge, SD, in addition to many other family members in MN and SD. He was preceded in death by his sister Mary (Leonard) Khair and brother Robert (Bob) Leonard, both of Minneapolis.