Obituary of Robert Leonard

Robert E. Leonard, 70, of Stormstown, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on Monday, February 17 after a battle with cancer. Robert was preceded in death by his loving wife Andrea and he leaves behind their two children, Rachel C. Leonard of New York, NY and Melissa L. Maurer and her husband Christopher of State College, PA, along with his two grandchildren, Callia and Leo Maurer. He is also survived by three siblings, Lora June Hamer and her husband Frank of Ocean City, NJ, Barry Leonard and his wife Deborah of Ypsilanti, MI, and Deborah Kolarich and her husband Thomas of Mechanicsburg, PA. Born October 27, 1949, in Drexel Hill, PA, he was the son of the late Robert E. Leonard, Sr. and June (Eastman) Leonard. Robert grew up in Valley Forge, PA and enjoyed many childhood adventures with his siblings and cousins, including spending summers in Ocean City, NJ. He attended Conestoga High School before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1967. He was assigned to the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command and served as an Armor Crewman attaining the rank of Sergeant. He was stationed in Grafenwoehr, Bavaria, Germany for two and a half years during the Vietnam War. After his service in the Army ended in 1970, Robert went on to attend Post College in Waterbury, CT, where he completed his Associates Degree in 1973. It was there that he met his beautiful wife Andrea Arnold and they were married on December 29, 1973. The couple then moved to State College, where Robert completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Studies at Penn State in 1976. In those few short years the State College area became home. With their roots now established, Robert turned his career toward law enforcement. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 1979 and joined the Patton Township Police Department, where he served the local community until his retirement in 2011. During his 32-year career with Patton Township he was promoted to Sergeant and became a regular on the midnight shift. He took pride in ensuring public safety during the overnight hours and was a trusted member of the department. Robert never lost his interest for the arts and pursued many creative hobbies including carving wooden signs. He also designed the uniform patch of the Patton Township Police Department. While his career was very important to him, the center of Robert's life was always his family. He was a devoted husband to Andrea and they shared 38 years of marriage and a lifetime of love. Shortly after his retirement, Robert compassionately cared for Andrea during her battle with cancer. He was a dedicated father who found great joy in raising his two daughters and later shined in his role as a grandfather. He was a fun-loving brother and uncle to his many nieces and nephews and brightened family gatherings with his sense of humor. He enjoyed documenting family vacations and holidays on home video and in 1988 won a national award for the short movie he produced starring the family dog Mocha. During his retirement Robert purchased a home in a waterfront community on Osborne Island in NJ and it became a treasured summer retreat for making memories with his family. Friends will be received from 3 until 4 p.m., on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. A funeral service will immediately follow at 4 p.m., at the funeral home. Committal will take place at Centre County Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS, 66675. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com or visit us on Facebook.