Milton Leebaw

Milton L. Leebaw, a retired journalist for The New York Times, passed away on Feb. 20, with family at his bedside. He was 95. Milt was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle. He and his wife, Sonya Slate Leebaw, had a loving 73-year marriage.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Milt had an early fascination with newspapers. He began as a paperboy for the Youngstown Vindicator. At 14, with a mimeograph machine, he created and sold his own newspaper, a weekly review of world and national news called The Youngstown Early Riser. At 20, without means to continue his studies at Miami of Ohio University, he left for New York City to pursue becoming a journalist.

He secured a job as a copy boy for the Herald Tribune, where a veteran editor took Milt under his wing. Milt suddenly was writing headlines for world and national stories on page one. He left the Tribune in 1961 to be an editor and writer at the Sunday Week in Review section of The New York Times. At 31, he had come full circle, given his early interest in weekly news reviews. At the Week in Review, he worked with talented colleagues who produced stories that went beyond what readers found in the daily paper. Later in his career he was an editor for the daily Biz Day section. In retirement, he remained an avid Times reader.

Milt was a role model for principled and moral behavior. He loved history (especially the Civil War), politics, and his Cleveland sports teams in spite of their penchant for heartbreak. He was a food maven and hilariously often characterized the most recent thing he ate as “the best I ever had.”

Milt resumed his studies at NYU and earned a B.A. in history while working at The Tribune. He is survived by his wife, Sonya, his son, Jeffrey Leebaw (Barbara), his daughter Janet Miller (Dan), his grandchildren, Ross Leebaw, Genna Clemente (Joe), and Gary Miller, his great-grandchildren, Emma and Jack Clemente, and siblings Dr. Wayne Leebaw (Ellen) and Susan Meade.

A graveside service for Milton will be held Sunday, February 23, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at New Montefiore Cemetery, 1180 Wellwood Ave, West Babylon, NY 11704.

The family will be receiving visitors during shiva, on Sunday 2/23, and Monday 2/24 after 4pm. Shiva will be at the home of Genna Leebaw Clemente, for details please call 718-633-0400.