Dr. Anita Leffel

It is with heavy hearts and profound love that the family of Dr. Anita Leffel announces her passing. Anita, a devoted educator, entrepreneur, and beloved family matriarch, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2025, in San Jose, California, at the home of her daughter Karyn, after a brief and fierce fight with pancreatic cancer. She was a guiding light to everyone who knew her, known for her energy, humor, and unwavering devotion to her family and community.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Anita grew up as the second-eldest of five siblings in a close knit Jewish family. From a young age she was active in her synagogue and community, experiences that instilled in her a strong sense of faith, compassion, and service to others. She excelled academically and had a lifelong love of learning. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas - Pan American, Anita took a courageous leap and moved to Israel to teach English, a formative adventure that deepened her connection to Israel and where she met her loving husband, Ronny Leffel. The two welcomed their first child before returning to Texas. Back in Houston, Anita balanced new motherhood with graduate studies, completing a Master of Education at the University of Houston. With her young family in tow and a fresh degree in hand, she set out into the working world ready to make an impact.

For nearly fifteen years, Anita served as an executive in a remarkable range of organizations: producing patient education content in the communications office at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; founding and managing daily operations for the HealthMaster Services Clinic at St. Luke’s Lutheran Hospital in San Antonio; acting executive director at the Jewish Community Center of San Antonio; overseeing claims and customer service teams at the Aetna affiliated Claims Administration Corporation; and, finally, advising entrepreneurs and running training workshops for the city’s Small Business Development Center. These experiences—across healthcare, nonprofit, corporate, and government spheres—honed her gift for organizational leadership, program development, and mentorship, and planted the seed for her later passion to teach and empower nascent entrepreneurs.

Two decades after beginning that management journey, already a seasoned business leader, she made the courageous decision to return to school, completing her Ph.D. in Educational Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University at the age of 50. That mid career doctorate became the launch pad for her celebrated second act in academia as an entrepreneurship educator and mentor.

In the early 2000s, Dr. Leffel embarked on a distinguished career in academia at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where she became a senior lecturer and Director of Entrepreneurship Programs in the College of Business. In this role, she was not only a teacher but a true innovator. She launched and co-founded numerous student-focused initiatives, including UTSA’s first business plan competition and an entrepreneurship student organization, and even helped establish a Toastmasters International chapter on campus. Through these programs she created, Anita opened doors for students to practice leadership and public speaking, develop startup ideas, and connect with mentors in the business community.

Anita’s impact in the classroom was extraordinary. She wrote and published extensively about teaching entrepreneurship and received multiple awards for teaching excellence during her 15+ years as an entrepreneurship professor. More importantly, she inspired a generation of young entrepreneurs. Countless former students went on to start their own businesses or excel in innovative careers, a true testament to her effectiveness as a teacher. Her students remember her as an energetic, caring mentor who made learning exciting. One former student described Dr. Leffel as “one of the most inspiring and passionate professors” they had ever encountered. She had a special way of seeing the potential in others and pushing them to achieve it.

Beyond the campus, Dr. Leffel’s mentorship extended around the globe. She was deeply involved in international entrepreneurship education, generously sharing her expertise with emerging leaders worldwide. Notably, she taught and mentored young entrepreneurs from across Africa through the U.S. State Department’s Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute. “This was a career-changer for me,” she said of working with the African fellows, adding that she “felt the weight of responsibility” for what the students might go on to accomplish. In fact, Anita often cited this program as one of the proudest highlights of her UTSA career: “Out of all the things in my UTSA career, this has made me the proudest,” she remarked, reflecting on seeing those diverse young leaders unite and thrive. Her international work didn’t stop there. She conducted entrepreneurship training workshops in Mexico, helped launch a student startup program in South Africa, and even collaborated with USAID to develop entrepreneurship courses in Kenya. Wherever she went, Anita empowered people with the tools and confidence to improve their lives and communities through entrepreneurship.

In 2016, Anita embraced a new adventure and moved to California, once again reinventing herself in the spirit of growth. She joined Claremont Lincoln University (CLU) as an academic leader, serving as the Director (and later Dean) of the university’s M.A. program in Social Impact. In this role, she applied her entrepreneurial acumen to the realm of social change, guiding graduate students who aspired to make a positive impact on society. CLU’s president at the time praised Anita’s “vision and success at creating programs to help students define and achieve their entrepreneurial goals... whether it be in business or in social impact”. Anita was gratified to work with a diverse student body from around the world, and she thrived on the challenge of bridging business principles with empathy and ethics in leadership.

After an accomplished tenure in academia, Dr. Leffel continued to exemplify lifelong leadership by turning her focus to a new demographic of entrepreneurs. She founded Silver Founder Academy, where she served as CEO to coach and empower aspiring entrepreneurs over the age of 50. In an era when many look toward retirement, Anita saw opportunity: she believed passionately that one’s “encore” years could be a time of innovation and purpose. (She even jokingly called herself an “encore Californian” after decades as a Texan.) Through Silver Founder Academy, she mentored baby boomer and senior adults in developing business ideas, leveraging her extensive experience to help others realize it’s never too late to chase a dream. This unfinished venture was the capstone of her professional journey.

For all of Anita’s professional achievements, nothing mattered more to her than family. She was the loving wife of Ronny Leffel, with whom she shared a deep and joyful partnership. Together they raised three children - Danny Leffel of San Rafael, CA (married to Kate), Karyn Priel of San Jose, CA (married to Or), and Shira Leffel of Hamburg, Germany - instilling in them the same values of curiosity, kindness, and determination that defined Anita’s life. She was immensely proud of the adults her children became. Later, Anita embraced her favorite role of all: grandmother. She was a proud and doting “Tata” (mispronunciation of "safta", Hebrew for grandma) to five beautiful grandchildren: Livia (6) and Ezra (4), children of Danny; Shai (8) and Noam (7), children of Karyn; and Mila (1½), daughter of Shira. Her grandchildren were the light of her life, and she cherished every moment spent imparting hugs and wisdom.

Anita carried the values of her Jewish upbringing throughout her life, fostering community and compassion wherever she went. Despite her many commitments, Anita made time for everyone. She was the kind of person who gave thoughtful gifts, who mentored colleagues outside of work, and who would gladly help a friend tackle a problem without hesitation.

In her personal pursuits, Anita was just as vibrant. She took up marathon running in mid-life and tackled it with characteristic determination. In fact, she completed nine full marathons, even qualifying twice for the prestigious Boston Marathon. She often commented that her marathon training taught her the value of staying focused and building both mental and physical endurance. Those lessons fueled her boundless energy in all areas of life. Anita also loved to travel and experience different cultures (which dovetailed with her international mentorship work), and she had a special place in her heart for music.

Anita is survived by her loving husband Ronny; her three children Danny (Kate), Karyn (Or), and Shira; and her five grandchildren Livia, Ezra, Shai, Noam, and Mila, who will forever remember her hugs and encouragement. She also leaves behind her four adoring siblings: Michael Scher of Austin, TX; Susan Prato of Dripping Springs, TX; Debra Suhl of Houston, TX; and Cathy Kansky of Los Altos, CA. Her legacy lives on in each of them.

A memorial service honoring Dr. Anita Leffel’s life will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Agudas Achim Memorial Gardens in San Antonio, Texas. Friends and family will gather to celebrate Anita’s remarkable life, share memories, and lay her to rest. All whose lives were touched by Anita’s presence are welcome to attend and pay their respects. (San Antonio was a special place to Anita, and it is fitting that her life will be celebrated there among dear family and friends.) Anita’s favorite color was purple, so we invite all guests to wear a little purple in honor of her.

Throughout her life, Anita Leffel exemplified courage, resilience, reinvention, leadership, and generosity. She will be remembered for her unwavering perseverance, whether earning a Ph.D. in mid-life, training for a marathon before dawn, or bravely taking on new roles on distant coasts, she never shied from a challenge. She continually reinvented herself and encouraged others to do the same, living proof that one can blaze new trails at any age. As a leader, she was compassionate and transformative, the kind of person who led by example and brought out the best in everyone around her. And in all things, Anita was overwhelmingly generous with her knowledge, her time, her love. She mentored hundreds of students and colleagues, treating their dreams as if they were her own. She uplifted her community with a ready smile and an open heart, always listening, always giving.

Dr. Anita Leffel’s legacy will endure in the countless lives she touched around the world. Her family, friends, students, and colleagues will forever cherish her memory and the lessons she taught by the way she lived. As she once wisely said, “When you teach someone one thing, it really opens the door for other things,” a principle she demonstrated daily in opening doors of opportunity for others. Anita opened doors not only to knowledge and entrepreneurship, but also to kindness, faith, and courage. Her bright spirit will continue to shine through all those she inspired.

She will be deeply missed, but the love she spread and the values she stood for will remain alive in our hearts. May her memory be a blessing, and may her story continue to inspire future generations to dream big, work hard, and care for one another, just as Anita did.