Martin Jeffrey Leighninger, 78, of Westerville, OH passed away on May 16th. He was born on September 15th, 1945, in Columbus, OH to Paul Evans Leighninger and Dorothy Seiller Leighninger Baldwin. Jeff served in the United States Army Infantry on a tour in South Korea. He was a Second Lieutenant in Btry D 4th Bn 44th Air Defense Artillery for two years.
A dedicated family man, Jeff is survived by his son Andy Leighninger, daughter Kristy deChambeau, son-in-law Jason deChambeau, and grandchildren Olivia and Alex deChambeau. He will leave to his son his traveling companion and devoted dog, Rocket. Jeff was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Penelope Huyck Leighninger.
Jeff was a very caring individual who always prioritized others before himself. Despite facing personal tragedies at a young age, he remained resilient and selfless. His strength of character was evident in his devotion to his family, friends, and colleagues. Starting in elementary school, he was part of a very close friend group called The Buds. To them he was known as Goo, and their connection and devotion to each other endures to this day. His education continued as an alumnus of West High School, and then Ohio State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
In his professional life, Jeff had a successful career as a car salesman, and in later years in the design and sales of material handling equipment. During his career, many of his business associates became close friends.
Outside of work, Jeff enjoyed hobbies such as fishing, boating, racecar driving, golfing and wood carving. He was known for his craftsmanship and love of nature. When he wasn’t outdoors, he was an avid reader, and pursued his lifelong passion for history.
He will be cremated with no public memorial service to follow. Instead, a Celebration of Life Ceremony for Jeff will be held mid-summer with final details to be updated at www.Schoedinger.com. Although Jeff passed away after a battle with cancer, it was his wish that any contributions or gifts in his memory be made to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org.
There are many who will miss this wonderful, golden man.
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