Leo John Nieter Jr.

Leo John Nieter, Jr. (Lee), aged 91, passed away peacefully with his wife Janice at his side on the morning of December 5, 2023, after a brief illness. He was born on October 4, 1932 to Leo and Lillian Nieter, Sr., in Cincinnati, OH.

Lee was a beloved husband and father who was known for his adventurous spirit and his deep, steadfast commitment to his family and friends. He was also an accomplished world traveler. His passion for seeing the world began first as a U.S Navy communications specialist, stationed as far away as Honolulu and Guam beginning in 1952. His love of warm temperatures, sunshine, and beaches was further fostered when the Nieter family moved from Cincinnati to Miami. A 5-decade career in the travel industry began for him in the 1950’s, the golden era of travel, when Lee worked for Pan American World Airways in Miami, FL, where he first met his wife, Janice. In the 1960’s, Lee began working for American Express as a manager in the travel division, first in Coral Gables, FL, and later Atlanta.

Throughout his career, Lee loved sharing his knowledge about international travel with his family and friends who also shared his passion for experiencing all that the world could offer. He was well-respected in the travel industry for his expertise in organizing exciting and memorable group excursions, no matter the location, occasion, or number of travelers. He effortlessly balanced his global interests with loving dedication to his wife Janice, with whom he recently celebrated 65 years of marriage. Together, he and Janice cared for their own parents and raised their son, Leo, in Hialeah, FL, then in Marietta, GA, beginning in 1980 when Lee accepted an offer to manage American Express offices in the Atlanta area.

Throughout his life, Lee achieved many personal and professional goals along with caring for his family: taking trips to many destinations around the world, running in road races, improving his golf game, collecting antiques, music, and memorabilia from around the world, supporting a number of local and national charities, and raising orchids and other flowering plants that reminded him of his twenty-plus trips to Hawaii.

He also touched the lives of many friends through his fellowship as a member of St. Ann’s Parish in Marietta, GA. A lifelong and devout Catholic, it was there that he became a fourth degree knight in the Knights Of Columbus, a designation that he was very proud to share with his late father, Leo J. Nieter, Sr. Additionally, Lee and Janice have enjoyed several recent years with wonderful friends and caregivers in their retirement community.

Lee is survived by his wife Janice Nieter (of Woodstock, GA), his son Leo Nieter, daughter-in-law Tracy Nieter, and granddaughter Madeline Nieter (of Yarmouth, ME), his sister Lois Walser, eight nephews, and two nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Lillian Nieter, Sr., Janice’s parents, Paul and Dorothy Pape, and brother-in-laws Richard Walser and Gerald Pape.

Lee will be profoundly missed by his family and friends. A viewing will be held from 6:00 to 8:00PM on Monday, December 11th, at Roswell Funeral Home in Roswell, GA. A funeral mass to celebrate and honor Lee’s life will be held at 11:00AM on Tuesday, December 12th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Woodstock.