William Mark Leonard

A proud Dorchester native raised in St. Peter's Parish, Bill earned an accounting degree from Northeastern University and spent his early career traveling the country as an auditor. He later trained as a medic in the U.S. Army Reserves before finding his true calling and earning his J.D. at Boston College Law School.

In 1974, Bill married Vivienne (Proto). Together, they settled in Scituate in 1980, where he quickly became a fixture in the community. From his longtime law office in North Scituate, he supported South Shore residents with their legal needs and served on the Scituate Zoning Board, including as chairman.

His true passion, however, was practicing criminal law. Working primarily in Hingham and Brockton district courts, often as a public defender, he relished the intellectual challenge of his work. He was known for sharing stories from his most memorable cases with his signature wit, charm, and penchant for embellishments. Bill was honored with the Ernest Vesperi Lifetime Achievement Award from Pilgrim Advocates in 2015 and the Plymouth County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award in 2016, capping an illustrious legal career spanning half a century.

Outside the courtroom, Bill was a prolific reader of detective novels, a lover of police procedurals, and lifelong Boston sports fan.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Vivienne; his daughters, Nicole Leonard of Watertown and Shana Leonard of Los Angeles; and his grandchildren, Nate, Rory, Ella, and Maeve. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Eleanor; and his siblings, Michael, Barbara, and Alice.

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, May 15, at 10 a.m., at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Scituate. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.