William J Leavitt

William J. (Bill) Leavitt, of Boca Raton, Florida, died August 3, 2025 after a brief illness. He was born December 18, 1927 in Morgantown, Indiana to Herbert (Pop) Leavitt and Irene (Mom) Arbegust Leavitt. The family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1930 when Pop Leavitt agreed to take a newspaper circulation assignment with The Miami News.

Bill was active in sports while growing up, lettering in several while attending Fort Lauderdale High School, where he graduated in 1945. During the 1940s and 1950s, his family managed the Las Olas Casino Pool located on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Bill was active in the management of the pool and was a visible figure there.

After high school, he entertained several scholarship offers: swimming at The Ohio State University, football at the University of Miami and basketball at Florida State University. He eventually chose basketball at FSU where he graduated in 1952. He was an accomplished dancer at FSU, which is how he met his wife, Theresa (Terry) Sheppard. The two were married in 1952. After college, he accepted a teaching job at Davie Elementary before taking teaching and coaching positions at Central Catholic High School (now St. Thomas Aquinas).

He left teaching to pursue a business opportunity in a sporting goods store in the Pompano Beach area circa 1960. He worked at Andy’s Sport Shop in Pompano Beach before purchasing the business in the late 1960s. The name was changed to All-American Sports Shop when it relocated to the Pompano Fashion Square circa 1970. Through his association with the sporting goods businesses, he became well acquainted with the coaching personnel at Pompano Beach and Blanche Ely High Schools.

Many of the patrons were local area coaches, players and their families. In the late 1970s he often hired high school-age athletes including his two sons, John and Jim. He sold the store in the 1980s and fully retired in the early 1990s.

He is survived by his wife of 71 years Terry; three children Laura Varn (George), John Leavitt (Mary Ann) and Jim Leavitt; six grandchildren and; five great grandchildren.