Albert "Al" J. Leo

Albert J Leo Sr., age 83, of Gonzales, Louisiana passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2024. He was born on June 4, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Thomas Moore High School, where he was the Co-Editor of the Chancellor, the school’s newspaper. He went on to study at St. Joseph’s College, concentrating in accounting, and further attended the Chrysler Institute of Management. Al also served in the Army Reserves and National Guard for six years. He had a passion for the automobile industry and entered the automotive field in 1962 when he began his career with Chrysler Corporation in field sales. In 1962, he married his beautiful wife Barbara, and went on to have four children. Al became the nation’s youngest Chrysler dealer in 1969, after serving in many management and leadership roles within Chrysler. In 1980, Al and his family moved to Florida to explore new opportunities, and his skills quickly brought him to the presidency of an automotive warranty company. After several years in Florida, Al was solicited by Dan Polett and the Lustgarten family, both operators of several dealerships in the northeastern United States, to invest in a newly established dealership in Pinellas Park, Florida, known as Scott Buick. Al began at Scott Buick as a managing partner but later became the sole owner/operator of the organization, which grew rapidly. Under Al’s leadership, Scott Buick rose to become the nation’s largest exclusive Buick dealer, and was named a “Buick Best in Class Dealer,” and Al attained the GM Dealer of the Year award several years in a row. Scott Buick also expanded to include Scott Saab, with locations in Pinellas Park and Tampa. Through the Scott organization, and individually, Al was a generous philanthropist, always thinking of those in need. Among many other community leadership roles, Al sat on the board of directors of the Goodwill Industries Foundation and the Mahaffey Theater Foundation, was a past president of the St. Petersburg Auto Dealers Association, a past co-chair of the American Heart Association Heart Ball with his wife, Barbara, a past City Ambassador for the City of Pinellas Park, and served on the Buick Dealer Advisory Board. Scott Buick provided the cars for use in the Pinellas County Driver’s Education Program, and was a major contributor to the St. Petersburg Times “Newspapers In Education Program.” He and Barbara chaired funding for the construction of a Catholic school at Espiritu Santo Church in Safety Harbor, Florida, which was his family’s parish for many years. His record of distinguished community service led to Al being presented with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Grand Lodge of Florida Foundation in 2006, for Al’s work while a member of its affiliate, John Paul I, Sons of Italy Lodge in St. Petersburg Florida. Al’s personal “scrapbook” contains pictures and stories of meetings with US Presidents, Catholic Popes, Hollywood stars, and real-life gangsters. Al and Barbara traveled the entire world, visiting his beloved Italy over 30 times, including trips to his ancestral family home in San Donato, Italy. However, he was most at home cooking, singing, and laughing with his many friends and large extended family. Al’s pride and joy was his large family. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and supported his family in every way imaginable. Al retired after the sale of his dealerships and lived near his son and family in Gonzales, Louisiana for the last 14 years. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Gerald and Dorothy Piselli Leo, as well as his siblings, Roslyn Leo Cirino, Gerald Leo, Anthony Leo, Dolores Leo, and Elizabeth Leo. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann Dunn Leo, and his children, Albert Joseph Leo, Jr., Ronald (Kathy) A. Leo, M.D., Stephen Michael Leo, and Michele (Ray) Leo Hintson, his grandchildren, Austin (Sarah) Leo, Christina Leo, Nicholas (Cecilia) Leo, Joseph Leo, Payton (Luke) Kelley, Angelina Leo, Gabrielle Leo, Isabella Leo, Sofia Leo, Bennett Hintson, and Joshua Hintson, and his great-grandchildren, Grayson Kelley, Hayes Kelley, Giovanni Leo, and Miles Kelley. In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to Tunnel to Towers Foundation or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Al’s memory. A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at St. George Catholic Church, located at 7808 St. George Drive, Baton Rouge, LA with visitation at 9:30 a.m. until mass at 10:30 a.m. A memorial mass will also be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, located at 2405 Philippe Pkwy, Safety Harbor, Florida.