GUEST-BOOK

Mr. Leslie was born in Cleveland, attended Cathedral Latin High School and graduated from Shaw High School. After graduating from John Carroll University, he enlisted in the Navy, and served as a quarterdeck officer on a minesweeper in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In addition, he served as Special Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Following the war he remained in the reserves until 1957, and received several commendations for meritorious service.

In a career that spanned six decades, Mr. Leslie engaged in a variety of pursuits to tend to his family’s needs and to give back generously to the community. He revised and implemented improved processes and procedures for shortage control while at Halle’s. As a top salesman for ER Moore Company and Collegiate Cap and Gown Company, Mr. Leslie enjoyed great success while resisting the pressure of intense competition. He never compromised his principles to get the next order. He reached out to the poor and disadvantaged communities, often donating choir robes at his own expense to needy churches and organizations in the inner city. As an instructor at John Carroll University, he provided a strong academic foundation for his students in accounting and statistics. Mr. Leslie is fondly remembered for providing comfort and solace to fellow workers while serving as a systems analyst at the US Department of Defense toward the end of his career.

In his capacity as Business Manager at St. Vincent Charity Hospital and then at the Cleveland Health Museum, Mr. Leslie had a positive guiding influence on countless individuals and groups. His groundbreaking work on birth models at the Cleveland Health Museum led to new educational opportunities for the community at large and especially for the disadvantaged. 

In lifelong service to the Catholic Church, Mr. Leslie quietly donated time and money to numerous charitable causes. He was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Rita Church in Solon, donating his time to charitable events for several decades.

"Jack had a kind heart and gentle spirit, coupled with great intelligence and wisdom, along with a good-natured dry sense of humor – a trademark known to all who knew him," according to Dorothy, his wife of 57 years. "He never intentionally embarrassed anyone or made a joke at anyone's expense. He was an avid supporter of his children's and grandchildren's academic and athletic endeavors.  He lived his Catholic values, which were molded in the depression and World War II era."  A passionate conservative politically, Mr. Leslie reached out and embraced people of all cultures and economic classes intellectually and emotionally.  He was a devoted husband, declaring his love publicly for all to see, and privately, as evidenced by his wife's lifelong love for him. 

His example of caring, diligence, and hard work throughout his life provided a solid foundation for his children.  As a parent, he demonstrated great love for all his children, never hesitating to help in times of crisis, even when he himself was experiencing hard times.  He gave back everything he had to his family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers through his humor, poetry, and kindness.  His was a life of sacrifice and devotion, much like many in his generation.  He did not compromise his values and encouraged everyone around him in a quiet way to find and follow strong principles. 

Following the sudden loss of her father, he wrote the following poem for an anquished co-worker:

"What words might I say to comfort you, What kindness might I do, To ease the burden you must bear, And help you tough it through. I’d speak as a father to his child, So you would really know, How great a father’s love can be, In case it didn’t show. No matter the time a father spends, Acquiring things of worth, His children are the greatest gift, He’s given here on Earth. And when a loving God has called A father home to rest, Be comforted by the certain thought, He loved his children best."