Daniel R. Leonard

Charlotte County

Date: September 30, 2008

Daniel R. Leonard, 61, of Englewood, Florida died September 22, 2008. He was born March 31, 1947 in Providence, Rhode Island to Cliff and Eveline Leonard, the first of eight brothers and sisters. Dan and his wife Carol were high school sweethearts and were married in 1969. Dan, Carol, and their daughters, Charlene and Danielle, moved to Englewood, Florida from Rhode Island in 1980.

Dan owned and operated Bull Bay Clam Farm. Dan obtained the first aquaculture lease in Southwest Florida for his clam farm in 1993. Dan supervised Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute's Southwest Florida satellite facility for five years, training many of Southwest Florida's clam farmers, including many fisherman who were displaced by the State's ban on net fishing.

As an active supporter of Florida aquaculture, Dan served on the Boards of the Florida Shellfish Farmers Association, the Florida Aquaculture Association, and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Committee. Dan represented Florida on the American Farm Bureau Aquaculture Advisory Committee and was the past Chairman of the Florida Farm Bureau's Aquaculture Advisory Committee.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Carol Leonard; daughters Charlene Leonard of Gainesville, Florida, and Danielle Leonard of San Francisco, California; his mother Eveline Leonard, brothers Richard and Patrick Leonard, and sisters Nancy Leonard, Michelle Deiker, Caprice Kouffman, and Monique Leonard.

A memorial service will be held at Lemon Bay Park, 570 Bay Park Road, in Englewood, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2008. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, 941-475-0769.

Lemon Bay Funeral Home Englewood Chapel is in charge of arrangements. You may express your condolences to the family at lemonbayfh.com