Douglas John Leach

July 27, 1957 – April 9, 2026

Douglas John Leach was born on July 27th, 1957 in Torrance, California to David and June Leach. He was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. He is survived by his wife, Debi, his two children, Kyle (married to Kristina) and Michelle (married to John), and his 3 grandchildren, Noah, Bella and Olivia. He is also survived by 4 siblings, Craig (married to Judy), Mike (married to Luz), Amy and Vicki (married to Greg).

Doug attended St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic School and graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School in 1975. During his senior year of high school he played third base for the Knight's 1975 CIF champion baseball team, which was later inducted into the BMHS Hall of Fame. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1980, became a licensed Architect in 1985, and opened his own firm (Douglas J. Leach, Architects, Inc.) in 1986. He had the privilege of serving as an appointed member of the Palos Verdes Art Jury for 17 years.

Doug designed nearly a thousand custom homes primarily located in the South Bay, extending into Brentwood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara over the course of 40+ years. His homes are routinely featured in multiple architectural and real estate publications. In 2006 he designed a home for ABC's “Extreme Makeover” TV show, which was recognized as one of the Top 5 homes of that entire series.

In 2023, Doug was highlighted as one of the legendary “Icons” for his 40-year contribution of creativity and vision that has impacted and shaped the architectural landscape of the South Bay beach communities. He would always say that the most fulfilling aspect of his design work was when client’s come back to him years later and share that they still loved their home and wouldn't change anything about it.

Though Doug was a brilliant and accomplished Architect, what he was most proud of was his family. He married the love of his life, Debi Trevino, in 1987. They bought their first home in South Redondo Beach a year later. In 2006, Doug achieved a life-long dream when he designed his own beautiful home on that same lot. He loved to entertain and was notorious for inviting everyone he met into his home to play pool, ping pong or a game of chess or cards.

Hanging out with his family, grandchildren and friends was the greatest joy of his life. Doug enjoyed countless hours coaching his children's teams and never missed one of their games. He loved playing basketball, golf and tennis, and delighted in vacationing to Palm Desert and Hawaii. He was actively engaged in volunteering and serving others in his local community.

Doug was taken to heaven on April 9, 2026. He will be most remembered for his strong character, compassion, humility, generosity and kindness towards others. His legacy of love and dependence on God will live on in the many lives that he touched.

Celebration of Life

Friday, June 5 at 2:00 p.m.

Reception immediately following

South Coast Botanic Garden 26300 Crenshaw Blvd.

Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA

Additional parking:

Rolling Hills United Methodist Church 26438 Crenshaw Blvd.

Please carpool if possible, as a large crowd is expected.

In lieu of flowers, the family is in the process of setting up a Foundation in honor of Doug's life and legacy which will be added to the website soon.