Leo Horowitz

by his parents, Nettie and Meyer Horowitz, and by his six siblings Nathan, Samuel,

Helen, Solomon, Evelyn, and Edward. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marcia, his son Michael (Connie Kelleher) and his daughter Nina (John Lee). He had four adored grandsons, Aidan, Kieran, Julian, and Duncan, who were the lights of his life.

He was a devoted family man and, anyone who knew him, understood that family came first. He was always pleased to be in the company of others enjoying good times and laughter. It reminded him of his upbringing in Brooklyn as the youngest of a large, very busy family. As he would describe it, his childhood in Coney Island was magical spending time on and under the boardwalk, learning to swim in the unpredictable surf, working at a beach custard stand, and taking in the delights of the entertainments in Luna Park.

Lee had many talents. He had an analytical mind and his problem-solving skills were highly valued. He was an avid student of history and could relay obscure details of historical eras that none of us had been aware of. His musical tastes ran to big band music and Latin dance music, and he was an accomplished Latin dancer. His mambo and cha-cha were legendary, and he spent some time teaching Latin dance at Arthur Murray studios.

Primary among his talents, though, was his athletic ability. He started playing catch with his older brother at the age of four, moving on to pitching and batting practice. He played in the Police Athletic League teams for baseball throughout his time at Abraham Lincoln High School, honing his skills and ultimately finding his favored position as a shortstop. He also played football in high school in the Pop Warner League. By the time he entered Brooklyn College, he was becoming recognized in the city leagues as a player to be watched. He was captain of the baseball team and also tried out for two major-league teams, the Dodgers and the Giants. Also, while in college he was named all-city shortstop for the five boroughs of New York. Some of the newspapers at the time began to recognize his accomplishments, and he was followed by and mentioned several times in the NY Times and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. While in the Army during the Korean conflict, he was captain of the Army team at Fort Fowler in Sendai, Japan. He continued athletic pursuits throughout his life, playing handball, volleyball, fast-pitch softball, touch football, racquetball, and other sports until his mid-70s.

Lee had graduated Brooklyn College with a degree in psychology and education. After Army service ended in 1956, Lee found employment at Western Electric in Manhattan as an electronics specialist and systems analyst, using his education and his experience in the Signal Corps to eventually become a senior engineer. Marcia and Lee lived in several locations: Manhattan; Salem, MA; Glen Rock, NJ; and finally to Greensboro with AT&T. Along the way, he also spent a few years as a stockbroker pursuing his interest in finance and the stock market. Furthering that interest, Lee earned an MBA from Northeastern University and was elected to the university’s chapter of the Business Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma. While in Massachusetts, Lee taught finance at several community colleges and in the Harvard extension program.

His retirement years were spent working part-time jobs at car rental agencies and at the Auto Auction in Greensboro, where he took long driving trips to deliver cars enjoying the scenery on the way all over the southeast. He retired at the age of 89. He and Marcia traveled extensively to many countries and locations in the U.S. to tour and visit children and grandchildren. He also served as an airport ambassador at PTI for many years, helping travelers with their questions. Lee was a fixture at the Wyndham Golf Tournament, volunteering for various roles throughout the tournament. He thoroughly enjoyed this time, but often said that golf was the only game involving a ball that he was never interested in playing which we often teased him about. As part of the Temple Emanuel community, Lee participated in the Brotherhood and the Friendship Circle and he volunteered at Mitzvah Day each year.

His quiet presence, his kindliness, his subtle sense of humor, and his many other admirable qualities will be greatly missed by his family and by all who knew him.

Contributions may be made in his memory to Temple Emanuel of Greensboro.