James W. Leonard ’60

Born and raised in Plainfield, N.J., Jim graduated from nearby Westfield Senior High School, where he was class treasurer and played football. At Princeton he brought his aggressive instincts to the Rugby Club, where he played for three years while also serving as assistant manager of the hockey team. He dined at Cannon Club and majored in politics. 

Moved by inequities he saw in the world, Jim pursued social-justice issues from the time of our graduation, extending to peace demonstrations during the Vietnam War. He later returned to his original goal, teaching history and literature at the high school level for more than 20 years. He was esteemed for incorporating art, music, and drama into his history and literature curriculum. 

After retirement, he continued the same course, spending many years teaching adult learners at nearby Lifetime Learning Center, always with the same passion and breadth of commitment for which he was admired.

In his later years Jim particularly enjoyed his daughter, Andrea, and both stepdaughters as well as his four grandchildren. He is survived by them and his wife, Marcia. Jim grappled with dementia in his last six years and died Jan. 27, 2021. Our sympathies to all the family.