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Generation 3
3. Russell Leach Married: Helen Marie Sharpe (#4), 17 February 1945 at Greensboro, N.C.)
... Known for his great honesty, integrity, and generosity.
Born: August 1, 1922 of Charles Albert Leach (#5) & Hazel Kirk Thatcher (#6) at 353 N. Monroe, Columbus, Ohio.
Click on images to go to (#5) & (#6).
Died: June 15, 2002 at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio of pneumonia, caused by pseudomonas bacteria; buried Union Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio, Sec. 10, Lot 185. Russell was diagnosed fairly late in life with glaucoma, pernicious anemia, and vertigo.
[His siblings included:
a) Dorothy Ann Leach Born: 3 April 1910; Died: 12 September 1971, aged 61 of cancer; buried Union Cemetery Columbus, Ohio next to her parents #5 & # 6. Unmarried, talented artist;
b) Robert Edmund Leach (Married Marie Chumbley, 29 November 1940; Marie was born September 4, 1916) Born: 18 December 1911. Died: 21 November 1993, aged 81; buried Union Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio next to his parents #5 & #6. Attorney and Judge; He and his wife had no children.
c) Jane Carol Leach (Married Charles Clare Webster, 20 May 1942) Born: December 18, 1919. Died: December 22, 2012, aged 93. She and her husband had one son.]
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Russell's Youth: (1922-1939)
Russell was born at home at 353 N. Monroe, Columbus, Ohio, the youngest of four children. At the time of his birth, his eldest sister (Dorothy) had turned 12 on April 3rd; his brother (Bob) had turned 11 on the same day that his youngest sister (Jane) turned 3... December 18th. Russell's oldest daughter remembers hearing that there had been a still birth of another child sometime between the birth of Jane and Russell.
Although Russell's siblings were given middle names, he was not.
As a young child, he liked playing with his toy monkey puppet, posing for traveling photographers, and carting things home from other neighbor's trash in the alley by his home.
Below Left : Russell's toy monkey puppet. Below Right : Russell at 2 years of age posing in a wagon pulled by a goat.
Below: Left: Russell, ~ four year old posing for a photo on a pony.. Right: A family portrait: Sitting: Sister (Dorothy), father (Charles), Russell, sister (Jane); Standing: mother (Hazel) and brother (Robert).
Below: A newspaper captured a photo of Russell and his classmates at Roosevelt Elementary, preparing for a Christmas program.The arrow points to Russell.
Below: Russell gave this letter to his mother as a present.
Below: Who are these folks on the left and what are they looking at by the water? When they turn around, Russell is at far left, Dorothy is facing the camera, and Jane is at far right. These photographs were found in an old trunk that had belonged to Jane. We will never know what they were looking at in the water.
As Russell got older, he became interested in photography. That passion lasted his entire life. As an adult, he was always the one taking photographs and is rarely shown in the pictures. When he was just beginning to take an interest in photography, he developed his own photographs in the family's bathtub. This tied up the bathtub and disgusted his siblings. Russ also liked sitting in the bathtub and reading books, which was another annoyance for his siblings.
Below Left: Teenage Russell. Note, he is carrying his camera and light meter. Below Right: All his life, Russell enjoyed reading in the bathtub.
When Russell was 15, and a student at Bexley High School in Bexley, Ohio, Judy Garland, also 15 years old, came to the Ohio Theatre in Columbus on March 30, 1938 as part of her promotional tour for her new movie, "Everybody Sing." Russell took his 16 mm camera to the show and filmed Judy. The newspaper article below describes Russell and his special gift to Judy. To read more about this event, click here.
Below: Russell also took along his regular camera and captured the photo below of Judy.
Another strong interest of Russ was in collecting records. Russ always had a slight build and really wasn't that interested in eating, so he sold desserts he didn't’ want to his sisters and brother and used the money to buy more records. He saved every record he bought, and had hundreds of vinyl records in his collection.
Russell’s early education was in the Columbus Public School system. During this time, his father, Charles was the City Attorney of Columbus. When Russell was 7, his father was a Common Pleas Judge. [See 1930 US Federal Census]. The family was living at 901 Lockbourne Rd. in Columbus.
Below: 901 Lockbourne Rd., Columbus, Ohio.
Later, the family moved to Bexley Park Rd, in Bexley, Ohio, and both Russell and his sister (Jane) attended Bexley High School in 1938.
Below: 2321 Bexley Park Road was at the corner Bexley Park and Drexel Avenue. In front of the house was a curbed lawn area where Russell's father planted a rose garden.
Susan Snyder (#2) interviewed Russell in 2001. The following were some of his memories of his early years. When he was young, he and his sister, Jane, put marbles in their socks and stood on the heat air register to heat their socks. When he lived on Lockbourne Rd. in Columbus, rats lived in the basement. He set a rat trap and his father paid him for each rat he trapped. Then Russ drown each rat.
Russell and his sister, Jane, fought over who got to sleep with Zeppi, a long haired dachshund, shown in the photograph at right. Susan, Russell's oldest child heard that Zeppi had arrived in the United States on a zeppelin and that was why he was named Zeppi.
Russell skipped a half grade in 5th grade. When he moved to Bexley, he advanced another half grade. At the time, he became an introvert with few friends. To quote him, the kids in his class in Bexley were “too old and clicky.”
When Russell learned to drive, he couldn't see over the steering wheel, so, he sat on a telephone book.
Far Left: Russell's High School Photograph; Left: Souvenir program from the 1934 World's Fair
Russell remembered going to World’s Fairs three times. In 1934, he and his brother and mother drove to Chicago. Russell met one of his mother’s cousins who was involved in law enforcement. He remembered looking at gory pictures of assassinations and pictures of gangsters. He attended the 1939 World’s Fair twice. Both times, he traveled by train. The first time, he went with his sister, Dorothy, and his mother and father. They cut a record of their voices and sent it back home to his brother, Bob, and sister, Jane. On his second trip to that fair, he went with friends on a Dispatch Newspaper-sponsored trip. His sister Dorothy also went with her friends to that fair.
Double click on the record to hear the recording that was made by Russell and other members of his family at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The record was digitized on 7 September 2005.
Russell and his friends liked to experiment with the latest technology and recorded several records.
Below: Double click on the records to hear songs that Russell sang in duet with a friend when he was young. The left record will play “I've been working on the railroad.” The one on the right will play “Horsie Keep Your Tail Up.” Both were originally recorded by Russell using home equipment. The songs were digitized on 7 September 2005.
During the 1920s and 1930s there was a dance pavilion at Ruggles Beach. Ruggles Beach is located at Lake Erie between the cities of Vermillion and Huron, Ohio. There was a dance pavilion and bath and boat house for the use of picnic parties and boarders at the hotel.
Below: Found in Russell's things after his death was the ticket below to Ruggles Beach. The Front of the ticket is on the left and the reverse side is shown on the right. The ticket indicates it is good for one dance.
Below: This photograph was labeled "Russell and Dick Hansberger. The photo was found in an old trunk that had belonged to Jane.
Below is Russell's photograph as it appears in the 1938 Bexley High School yearbook The Bexleo. Russell was a junior.
At left is Russell's enlarged junior year photo found in an old trunk of his sister Jane in 2023.
Below is Russell's senior picture printed in the 1939 The Bexleo.
Below: Russell's high school graduation photo that was found in an old trunk that had belonged to Jane.
Below: One of Russell's good friends in high school was Otto Schenk. Below, you will read about and hear (in Russell's own words) the significant contribution Otto made to Russell's life.
Below: Russell's Graduation from High School Diploma was folded inside this presentation folder. The diploma is shown immediately below this folder. He received this diploma on June 8, 1939.
Below: His Bexley Public School Certificate of Credits.
Russell's Life 1939- 1949:
After graduating from Bexley High School in 1939, Russell contemplated pursuing a career in photography. But instead, he enrolled at Ohio State University in 1939.
The 1940 US Federal Census lists Russell and his family as living at 2321 Bexley Park Rd. Russell is 17 and he has completed high school. He is listed as not working and not looking for a job. It is presumed that he was attending OSU.
Below: Russell's age is unknown. This photograph was found in an old trunk that had belonged to Jane.
Years after Russell's death, his eldest daughter was sorting through items Russell had saved. The ticket stub (front and back) shown below were among the items. The Ritz Club opened in 1940. The address was 2013 Lockbourne Road. It could not have been very far from where the Leach family had lived before they moved to Bexley. The entrance cost was 50 cents.
Below is another ticket stub found among Russell's possessions. In November 1941, he had attended a "Dance Caravan" held in the Columbus, Ohio Auditorium. Tommy Dorsey and Shep Fields were the featured recording artists.
Below: The 1942 Ohio State Year book shows Russell in the Chi Phi Fraternity. He is in the class of 1943, and is sitting in the center of the front row.
On December 7, 1941, Russell (age 19) was upstairs at the Bexley Park home when it was announced that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese. He ran downstairs to tell his father, Charles. At first, Charles didn't believe him.
In early 1942, while taking courses at OSU to become a lawyer (like his father and brother), Russell decided he really did want to be a photographer. He dropped out of OSU with the intent of attending the Eastman Kodak School of Photography in New York. He ended up working for the Ohio Fuel Gas Company.
That summer, Otto Schenk, Russell's good friend from high school, called from Greensboro, North Carolina where Otto was living with his parents (who had moved from Columbus to Greensboro). Otto invited Russell to visit him, and Otto promised that he could fix him up with a different date every night for a week. The first night Russell met a blonde. The second night, he met Helen Sharpe. Russell told Otto to stop fixing him up. He liked Helen. He stayed in Greensboro two weeks instead of one week and returned home “flat broke.” He and Helen wrote letters and occasionally visited one another.
Double click on the cassette tape to hear Russell’s story in his own words of how he met and began dating Helen. (Susan, Russell’s daughter, interviewed him and recorded his voice on a cassette tape in 2001. The tape was digitized on 7 September 2005.)
Below is a letter Russell wrote to his parents on August 28, 1942 telling them that he'd met Helen and he thought he would date her.
Also in the summer of 1942, Russell tried to enlist in the Navy, Merchant Marines, Marines, and Coast Guard, but they wouldn't take him because he didn’t weigh enough. In November, 1942, Russell was drafted by the Army.
Some time prior to joining the Army, Russell decided that since he did not have a middle name, he would like to be called James Russell Leach. Later, he dropped the name James and reverted to the name his parents had given him at birth: Russell Leach.
Russell's draft card is below. The card states he was 19 years old. But if it was issued in November, Russell had turned 20 in August. Mr. Chauncey Nafsger was a neighbor who lived next to the Leach family before they moved from Lockbourne Rd to Bexley Park. The Nafsgers were good friends of the Leaches. At the time he was drafted, Russell worked at the Ohio Fuel Gas Company.
Russell served in WW II (8 December 1942- 23 February 1946). While in the Army, he attended the University of Connecticut (1943) .[Note: This sticker for the University of Connecticut was found among Russell's army belongings in 2020, 18 years after his death.]
He also spent time at Fort Thomas, Kentucky; Kennedy General Hospital; Memphis, Tennessee; Columbus, Georgia; Ft. Benning Georgia: ? New Jersey; and returned to Ft. Benning. [Note: At these places, Russell was in the Army Specialized Training Program. The Army specialized Training Program was a military training program that conducted training in 227 American universities in the fields of engineering, foreign languages, and medicine. It is thought by his eldest daughter that Russell was being trained in medicine.] Part of his service was 38 months of overseas service on Saipan, where he was a Tech Sergeant. All the while, Russell was writing letters to his family and Helen, and all were writing back to him. He kept all of the letters that he received from his family and Helen, and they did the same. Hundreds of letters are in the possession of Russell's oldest daughter.
Below: The next three images of Russell in the Army were found in an old trunk that had belonged to Russell's sister, Jane.
The paperback below was found in Russell's possessions many years after he had died. Apparently, members of the Armed forces of the United State were provided with books to read while serving, and this is one. The author John Philip Sousa, III was the grandson of the world famous March King.
Below: Russell's army jacket, close-up of jacket button, hat, belt, and sewing kit.
Below: Russell's army bars and patches appearing on the jacket above: Row One Left to Right: Second United States Field Army, Insignia of US Army Pacific, World War II Victory Medal Ribbon. Row Two Left to Right: Army Good Conduct Medal Ribbon, American Campaign Medal Ribbon, Row Three Left to Right: Army Overseas Service Bar,Three year Service Bar (These are on the sleeve cuff and not visible in jacket photo above).
Below: Other patches and pins were found among Russell's possessions, long after his death. Row One Left to Right: 4th Service Command (would have been worn as a shoulder sleeve insignia), Army Specialized Training Program Patch, Medical Crp Patch with caduceus (intertwined snakes). Row Two Left to Right. Two WWII Army Medical Corps Insignia Collar Disks, Six private First Class/ Specialist stripes [Note: As documented in Russell's letters, every time he was sent to school by the army, he was demoted back to private. He and his brother-in-law Dick Webster (A 2nd Lieutenant Navigator with the Army) had quite a discussion about this in their letters to one another while both serving active duty. Both Russell and Dick thought that practice was unfair.]
In a 4-page letter written to his sister, Dorothy, on October 2, 1944, Russell asked to borrow some money and to have Dorothy purchase a wedding ring to give to Helen. A copy of the letter and transcription follow:
"Dear Dorothy,
I hate like hell to throw all my troubles on your shoulders, but it’s almost necessary. You don’t have to except all this responsibility and work, but I’ll never forget it if you will. It means alot to me and really you’d have my undying gratitude.
Here is my whole problem in a nutshell- I have just 60 dollars here and soon will have the money that Dad sent. I don’t know where $75 came from, but I want only my money. That doesn’t include $5 for 19 packs of cigs- please take your money back. Anyway that gives me a good $100. Now what I want you to do is to act as my banker and everything else. I want to send back all this money to you and have you get a ring & send it. I’ll leave the choice of stores & rings entirely up to you. However as to the ring, I like a plain setting much better than anything fancy.
Now here’s what I want to do- have the ring by the 19th, have enough money left to buy a wedding present for Hank & go up to N.C. for the wedding and to see Helen and give her the ring.
If you can’t work out something on an installment plan, I have some War Bonds that Dad could cash since he’s co-owner. I hate to do this, but I don’t want a debt hanging over me longer than necessary.
About the price- I’ll leave that to you, but I thought around $150 would be as much as I could afford. Tax would bring that up to 180 or 190 bucks and that will take long enough to pay. I don’t know about allotment plans, but I thought of Argo & Lehne because they know me, but I doubt if they have such things. About installments etc- I could put 100 or so down- all depends on what I can dig up from bonds etc and could save about 25 dollars a month.
I’m really sorry for all this trouble. I just couldn’t do much for I’ll be in the field this week and maybe next and we’re scheduled to go to Benning the 13th. Don’t worry about the change of address for they forward mail immediately.
Love,Russ”
On February 17, 1945, Russell married Helen at Helen's parent's home in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Below: The Marriage Record was registered with the Office of Register of Deeds in the State of North Carolina, County of Guilford on February 15, 1945. There is an error on the deed. Helen's mother was Mary Gertrude Sharpe, not Gladys Sharpe. Gladys was Helen's oldest sister.
After the wedding, Russell went to Columbus, Georgia, and then to Seattle, Washington. Then he was sent to Saipan, where he was in Ordinance (he arranged to always be driving the best jeep). Later, he was at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
Below: When stationed on Saipan, Russell collected cowries and made this necklace and bracelet for Helen.
Below is a copy of a document from Harry Truman when Russell was discharged.
At the end of his service, Russell received the 89- page booklet below. It included Getting a Job, G.I. Bill of Rights, Social Security Benefits, and many other topics.
After being honorably discharged from the Army, Russell attended Ohio State University (1946-1949. He received his BA in 1947, and JD in 1949). While attending OSU, he was a member of the Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity and the Chi Phi Social Fraternity. He also worked for the Ohio Water Resources Board and U.S. Geological Survey 1946-49, and the College of Law at Ohio State University as a reference and teaching assistant.
Below: The Convocation for the December 19, 1947 graduation from The Ohio State University. Russell graduated with a BA in Arts and Sciences.
Below: Program for the Seventy-Second Annual Commencement at Ohio State University. The date of the graduation was June 10, 1949. Russell graduated from the College of Law.
Below: The next two photographs show the graduation ceremony at the OSU football stadium on June 10th, 1949. At the graduation ceremony, family lore has it that 31- month old daughter Susan, pointed and yelled "That's my daddy." [Two days after graduation, Russell's son, Terry was born.]These photographs were found in an old trunk that had belonged to Jane.
Below is the Report of the Dean College of Law The Ohio State University 1948-1949. On page 6, J. Russell Leach is acknowledged as the director of the Reference Department of the Law Library.
Russell took the bar examination before he graduated from law school. He found out that 50% of those who took the exam did not pass, but he couldn’t find out whether he had passed until after he graduated. His score was being held until then. He was very anxious about it. However, a good friend of his father found out the scores and called his father and told him that Russell had passed. Charles called Russell and asked to speak to attorney Leach. That is how Russell found out he had passed the bar.
Below: Russell’s Law Degree, dated 9, March, 1967. This is a copy of the original degree issued in 1949. He misplaced his degree and ordered another copy in 1967.
Below: This certificate, dated January Term, A.D. 1949, entitled Russell to practice law in the state of Ohio.
Below: Russell and his family in 1949.
Russell's Life 1950- 1962:
After graduation, Russell eventually went to work as an Assistant City Attorney in 1950. His father, Charles, died of a heart attack and gall bladder complications on August 15th of that year. Russell was only 28 years old.
In 1951, Russell and Ervia H. Pollack wrote an article that appeared in the February 19, 1951 No. 8 Ohio Bar. The title was: "Ohio's Reported Decisions - An Integrated Survey. It was the first article in the Bar Association Report.
Russell was talked into joining the 37th Division of National Guard to earn extra money to support his family, and went to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. The Korean Conflict exploded, and Russell went home and then back into active duty. The date for his enlistment was 8 November 1951. He was ordered to Leesburg, Louisiana. While stationed at Camp Polk in Leesburg, he was Assistant Staff Judge Advocate. [The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG, is the military justice branch].
Below: Both of these documents were found amoung Russell's possessions, saved from his experience in Leesburg, Louisiana. One is a Visitor's guide to Central Louisiana. The other is his War Department Field Manual for Criminal Investigation.
Below is the Technical Manual of Army Instruction, dated April 19, 1943. This 227 page manual states, "manual was designed to assist Army instructors in efficiently carrying out their teaching objectives. All officers and noncommissioned officers of the Army of the United States must know how to teach. As specialists, they may have an excellent knowledge of some phase of the military profession; but in order to teach others, they must know the best methods and procedures for effecting the desired training in the shortest possible time. "
Below: Not long after arriving in Leesburg, Russell wrote a card to Helen's parents in Greensboro, NC, where Helen and the kids were staying. In his card, Russell said "Things are fine except I miss Helen & the kids so much."
Below: Russell in Korean conflict and the 37th Division Headquarters.
Eventually, Helen and the kids took a train down to Leesburg and lived with Russ for the duration of his service. Susan attended 1st grade, and Helen participated in women's activities at the base.
Below: Home of 1st Lt Leach and his family in Leesburg, Louisiana. It's hard to see, but some of the family are sitting on the porch.
Below: Russell with his children Susan and Terry around 1952.
Russell was finally, discharged on 15 August 1953.
In 1954, Russell went back to work as an Assistant City Attorney with the City of Columbus. Later, he was promoted to Senior Assistant City Attorney 1954-55, Chief Counsel 1956, and in early 1957, he was First Assistant City Attorney.
The newspaper article below was found in an envelope that Helen had sent to her mother with a letter. The article was dated January 24, 1957 and announced Russell's appontment to be Columbus' Cith Attorney.
Below: The Journal, a newspaper in Columbus describes the appointment of Russell to City Attorney to fill the job of Chalmers P. Wylie, who was leaving to become the administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workmen's Compensation. This article was found in an envelope that Helen had sent toThe appointment was made in January 1957.
Below: Surrounded by family (his two sisters, mother, brother, wife and children), Russell sits at the same desk his father had as City Attorney. His father had died in 1950.
Below is the newspaper article that appeared after Russell was appointed.
Below: This newspaper article, appearing in the Greensboro Daily News, announces Russell's appointment as Columbus' new City Attorney to Greensboro, N.C, Helen's hometown. Russell's brother, Robert, swore him in, while his son, Terry, held the Bible. This article was found among things that Helen had sent to her mother. It was found by her daughter in 2023.
While in the City Attorney's Office, Russell was selected "Outstanding Young Man of Columbus" in both1956 and 1957.
Below: The article below appeared in the newspaper in 1957. The transcript of the article follows. The plaque awards for 1956 and 57 are shown below the article and transcript.
The article below announces the Outstanding Men of the Year. This article was found in an envelope that Helen had sent to her mother with a letter. The article was found by the web master in 2023
Russell's oldest daughter remembers the excitement of seeing her father play softball in Jet Stadium in 1957. She was 11 years old at the time, and Russell was 35.
Russell ran for election in May 1957, and again in November 1960, each time for a four year term.
Below is the 1957 campaign card advertisement with the family photograph.
Below is the photo he used for his 1960 campaign.
Below is a pamphlet that folded out and was sent to voters.
Below are additional campaign materials: Outside sign, sample ballot, and match book cover.
Below: Russell won his re-election for City Attorney. Below left: Russell and Helen smile at the results in the newspaper. Below right: John Young also won his election for City Auditor.
Below: This newspaper article below began with "The long and short of the Republican Party". Russell is 5 ft 8 inches tall and John Price is 6 ft. 6 inches tall.
Below: The meaning of this certificate is unknown. It is neither dated, nor signed, but is probably from Russell's early years as City Attorney. At the time Jack Sennsenbrenner was Mayor.
Below: Russ (in the middle of the front row) sits with his City Attorney staff.
Below: Russell and Helen took their children on many educational trips. This trip in 1958 was to Mount Vernon. This photograph was taken by Helen.
In 1962, Russell ran for a judge of Probate Court. He lost the election and continued as City Attorney.
Below is a matchbook cover from the Russell Leach for Probate Judge campaign.
In mid April of 1962, Russell received word that his Uncle Hooker, husband of Aunt Belva (his father's sister) had died. Russell wrote the letter below to her, her daughter (Roberta) and granddaughter (Sharon). In his letter he expressed his sympathy, but he also revealed some of his feelings about when his own father had died in 1950. He also shared that he had been working on the genealogy of the family. Below this letter is a transcription, written by the webmaster in 2022. (The letter is courtesy of Sharon Hinckley, Belva's granddaughter.)
Russell's Life 1963- 1965:
While working in the City Attorney's office, Russell served under two mayors, Jack Sensenbrenner 1954-1960 and Ralston Westlake 1960-1963. In 1963, Mayor Westlake presented Russell with the " Award of Merit" shown below.
In early 1963, Russell was appointed Municipal Judge for Franklin County, Ohio. He ran for election in November of that year and won the election.
Below: campaign bumper sticker and campaign match book cover.
Russell was at his City Hall office as a municipal judge when it was announced that President Kennedy had been shot. The day was Friday, November 22, 1963. He and his brother, Bob, had tickets to the Ohio State/ Michigan football game that was to be played in Michigan the next day. At 5:00 AM on the 23rd, it was announced that the game would still be played. Russell and Bob took a train to Toledo and found out that the game had been postponed.
Below: The year is unknown, but Tom Moyer, who would eventually become Chief Justice of Ohio's Supreme Court was getting advice from three former City Attorneys in his campaign to become City Attorney. Tom has his notebook open.
Russell was a judge of the Municipal Court from 1963-1966. From 1964-1966, he was the Presiding Judge.
Below is a sample ballot showing Russell is running for Municipal Judge with the term beginning January 1, 1964.
Below: Helen and Russell on New Years Eve... unknown year.
Below: Russell at his office desk.... unknown year.
Below: A certificate of membership to the American Bar Association.
Below: This plaque was presented to Russell as a "Sustaining Member Columbus Bar Association". The year of the original plaque is unknown. A new sticker was added yearly.
Below: An award presented to Russell by the American Arbitration Association. The year of the presentation is unknown.
During Russell's life, he made many speeches to many groups.
Below: is a plaque given to him on May 6, 1965 in appreciation for an address he made before the Kiwanis Club of West Franklin County Ohio.
Russell's Life 1966- 1987
In 1966, Russell was asked to join as a partner in the Bricker, Evatt, Barton, & Eckler Law Firm.
Below: The Columbus Evening Dispatch April 25, 1966 headlines announced Russell's resignation as Municipal Judge to join the Bricker Law Firm.
Among Russell's many clients while at the law firm were Penn Central Railroad, Upper Arlington Schools, ....
Below: Russell, attorney at the Bricker Law Firm.
Below: In 1968 The Leukemia Society of America presented this plaque to Russ in "Recognition of Outstanding Service in the Fight Against Leukemia."
Below: Russell actively participated in Republican campaigns.
In January 1969, Russell and Helen attended the Inauguration of Richard Nixon in Washington D.C. with Chalmers P. Wylie and his wife. Wylie was a Ohio Congressman at the time. He had been a long time friend of Russ and had been City Attorney of Columbus when Russ was an Assistant in the Office.
Below:A bracelet souvenir of Helen's from the Inaugural Ball
In 1969, Russell and Helen bought a cottage at 3139 Cottonwood Court, Millersport, Ohio, 43046 for $12,000. It was located on Liebs Island on Buckeye Lake. The cottage came with a boat dock. Russell bought a boat and Terry enjoyed water skiing on the weekends and summers, while Helen enjoyed gardening, Ann playing, and Russ and Terry fishing. Susan was away at college. Russ and Helen made improvements to the cottage and eventually bought another lot in back of and adjacent to the property.
Below: The Liebs Island house and Helen, Russell, and Ann.
In 1970, Russell's oldest sister (Dorothy) died of cancer. Prior to her death, she made Russell her power of attorney.
In 1974 when Ann was in the sixth grade, Helen and Russ moved from Berwick, an east Columbus suburb, to Upper Arlington, Ohio, where they purchased a condominium at 1232 Kenbrook Hills Drive, shown below. Their home was just off Kenney Road, near the OSU golf course. Russell continued to live at that residence until his death.
Russell served on the Board of Governors of Columbus Bar Association, and was President 1973-74.
Below: Gavel and plaque from the Columbus Bar Association in recognition of his leadership.
Below: Russell Served as a member of the Board of the Trustees of the University Club twice. The left plaque is dated 1973-1976. The right plaque is dated 1982-1985 [Note: The University Club of Columbus is no longer in existence. When it was, it was downtown at 40 S. Third Street next to the Dispatch newspaper offices and above Montaldo's women's clothing. Windows in the dining room faced the State House. The Board of Directors were elected by the club members and made major decisions for the club. The club restaurant was known for having wonderful food. Russell and Helen had the reception for their eldest daughter's first wedding at the club.]
Russell was elected Chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party on May 23, 1974. He served as Chairman from 1974 to 1978. This article and the four below were found in the old trunk that had belonged to Jane.
Below: This article describes Russell's stressful job as the GOP Party Chairman.
Below: This plaque reads "For Outstanding Contributions to the Administration of Justice....Russell Leach, ESC.. From the Ohio Municipal Judges Association... Judge Bonford R. Talbert Jr. President.... Presented May 1974. [Note: It is unknown why Russell was presented with this plaque in 1974. At that time, he was no longer a Municipal Judge. He had been with the Bricker Law Firm since 1966.]
Below: As part of the bicentennial celebration, Russell was presented with this large silver tray in 1976.
Below: Helen and Russ at a Bricker Office party. Next to Russ is his secretary, Linda Nathan .
Below: In early May 1976, Mrs. Betty Ford visited Columbus, hoping to raise money for her husband's Presidential campaign. As Franklin County GOP Chairman, Russell and Helen were among the dignitaries meeting her upon arrival at the airport.
Below: In early June, Russell was involved with Gerald Ford's trip to Ohio for campaigning.
Below: The sample Republican Primary Election card (front and back) for June 8th, 1976 shows Russell as the Franklin County Republican Central and Executive Committee Chairman.
Below: As chairman of the party, Russell faced some unexpected challenges. He discovered a candidate, that had not been endorsed by the party on the card above, created counterfeit cards that said the party endorsed him. This newspaper article was published two days before the primary election that shows Russell has described the "Trick". [Note: Russell's daughter who is the webmaster of this site thinks it would be better called "fraud."]
Below: The results of the primary election.
Russell was elected to a second term as GOP Party Chairman for Franklin County.
During Russell’s life, besides meeting Gerald Ford, he personally met Presidents Richard Nixon and George Bush Senior. He may have also met Dwight David Eisenhower since he shared the stage with him when Russell was in the City Attorney’s office. Before Dick Cheny became Vice President of the United States, Russell sat next to him and talked at length during a flight from Florida.
Below: Franklin County Republican Chairman, Russell talked with Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller at a luncheon where Rockefeller was introduced as the speaker by Russell (a past Bar Association president).
Below: As Franklin County Republican Party Chairman, Russell had many duties, one of which was to help select candidates to run in elections.
Another thing Russell did in 1976 while Franklin County GOP Chairman (along with a Ford elector) was to initiate the state of Ohio's first presidential recount. Jimmy Carter's margin of victory over Gerald Ford in Ohio was less than one half of 1 per cent. After the election, State department investigators found cases of voter fraud in Cuyahoga County.
Below: Russell was presented with both the "Hawkus Award" and "Lifetime Achievement Award "by the Franklin County Republican Party. Below Left: "The Hawkus Award" for Outstanding Leadership as Chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party of the State of Ohio 1974-78. [Note: the tool attached to the "Hawkus Award" is used to train elephants.] Below Right: "Lifetime Achievement Award."
Below: Several times during Russell's life, he had made bets with other smokers that he could stop smoking. In 1973, after much coaxing from his wife, younger daughter, and doctor, he decided to do it. In 1975, he decided to throw himself a party . Left: the invitation to the party. Right: a poem written for Russ in 1983 by a law partner, 10 years after he gave up smoking. As a present for kicking the habit, Russ was presented with a ticket for a hot air balloon ride by people in his law firm.
In 1978, when Russell stepped down after four years as Franklin County Chairman, he was roasted. He was 55 old. At the Roast, titled “Man of the Minute,” cocktails were followed by a buffet dinner. Beth Carson, President of the Cap City Young Republicans welcomed the guests. The Master of Ceremonies was Mayor Tom Moody. Roasters and presentations included Bob Leach (Russell's brother), Congressman Chalmers Wylie, Bob Butler, Judge James Pearson, Earl Barnes, Representative Alan Norris, Sally Bloomfield, Dick Pickett, Tuesday Volunteer from County Headquarters, John Combs, Judge Dean Strausbaugh, Dana G. (Buck) Rinehart, Jim Conrad, JoAnn Davidson, Shep Edmonds, Bill Dawson, and Nelson Lancione. This was followed by the Russell Leach Rebuttal.
Below: Plaque presented to Russ and the program cover from Russell's Roast on May 4, 1978.
For many years, Russell and Helen rented hotel rooms along Florida's east coast for family vacations. One of their favorite places to stay was the Beach Club at Fort Lauderdale (shown below in this post card)
Then, they tried the southwest coast of Florida and decided they liked it better. The beaches weren't as crowded and there was no oil in the sand. At least one time, before Ann was born, they went to Clearwater. Later, they tried the Vanderbilt Beach area of Naples. They continued renting until 1977, when they purchased Unit 306 in Vanderbilt Towers II on Bluebill Avenue at Vanderbilt Beach. It was a 1 bedroom condo. Later, they purchased Unit 305 (next door) for $45,000. It was an efficiency apartment. Now, they had more room when the family visited. When they were not using the condos, they rented them out.
Below: a brochure for Vanderbilt Towers II.
In 1979, Russ and Helen were boating around Buckeye Lake and saw a lot with a cottage on the water for sale. They purchased the property at 115 Oak Drive in Hebron, Ohio. At the property closing, Russ discovered that he was purchasing the property from two of his mother's first cousins. The sisters, Hazel Thatcher Snider and Rebecca Thatcher Fenner, were selling the property for their deceased brother's estate. Their brother was Austin Thatcher. Austin had owned the property from the mid 1940s until his death on December 19,1978. The Leaches added a bedroom, bathroom, utility room and screened-in porch onto the 1950's cottage. They updated the kitchen and added a detached garage with an attic. The Leaches spent many weekends and summers at the property. Very special occasions included their eldest daughter's wedding in 1988 and Russ and Helen's 50th anniversary in 1995.
In 1981, Russell, Helen, and Ann had the opportunity to attend the inauguration of Ronald Reagan.
Below Row : Image 1: Presidential Inaugural Metal; Images 2: Inaugural Ticket; Images 3 and 4: Front and back of the Inaugural Ball Ticket; Image 5: Inaugural Match Book Cover
The law office was always very busy in its professional duties, but there were also birthdays and other events to be celebrated. On the event of Russell's 59th birthday, one of his law partners, William R. Chaydayne, wrote the following poem:
From 1982 - 1987, Russell was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bricker Law Firm.
Below: 1982: Russell’s 60th Birthday Party. The man in the left corner of the left photo is US. Senator for Ohio Sam Devine. Organized by the gals at Russell’s office, everyone at the party was given a shirt to wear, and a miniature golf tournament was held. The t-shirt said, "RUSS LEACH Almost Memorial Miniature Golf Tournament August 1, 1982."
Below: On March 28, 1985, Russell received a "Special Recognition Award" from the Capital Area Humane Society.
It was during Russell's time as Chairman of the Executive Committee that plans were made for the law firm to purchase the "Old Post Office" (built in 1884 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973). The building is located at 100 South 3rd Street. The firm remodeled and restored the interior, using much of the original structure, and moved out of old Bricker Law Firm offices that occupied several floors of 100 East Broad Street. As Chairman of the firm, Russ was given the construction hat shown at left. The law firm moved into the building in 1986.
As Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Bricker Law Firm, Russell had the opportunity to introduce President Gerald Ford at the dedication for the Old Post Office becoming the new Bricker Law Firm office.
Below: The Columbus Dispatch article, dated November 19, 1986 that describes the event.
Below is a paragraph copied from the Bricker website:
When Russell turned 65 in 1987, the law firm was going to put him "Of Council". This was an automatic procedure by the firm. This term "Of Counsel" means Russell would still have a continuting relationship with the law firm, but he would no longer be a partner or associate. It would mean he was a former partner who is on a retirement or semi-retirement basis. Russell decided to leave the firm. He wasn't ready for retirement or semi-retirement. He thought he might like to be a substitute municipal judge throughout the state of Ohio.
He had a retirement party and many of the people in the firm wrote him letters. One said he thought Russ should have a new business card made that said, "Have gavel.... will travel."
Russell's Life 1988-2002
Instead of becoming a substitute municipal judge, From 1988 until his death in 2002, Russell served as a Court of Claims Judge for the State of Ohio.
Below are Court of Claims of Ohio Judge Leach's photograph and card.
The cartoon below was found among Russell's papers after he died. Russell had quite a sense of humor and joked with his staff and fellow judges. One of them may have given him this cartoon.
Below: 1997 : Russell (2nd from left) with Court of Claims staff.
Below: Russell and Court of Claims Office staff... unknown year.
Below : In 1989, at Russell's 50th High School Reunion, he was presented with the Bexley High School Alumni Association Significant Achievement Award.
In 1989, Russell and Helen purchased condo 402 at Vanderbilt Surf Colony III at 17 Bluebill Ave. Naples, Florida. It is on the same point of land near their Vanderbilt Towers II property. Helen stayed there for several winter months each year. Russell flew back and forth to Columbus since he was still working as a judge. The Leaches rented out the Vanderbilt Towers condo properties. In 1990, they sold Unit 305 for $58,000.
Below: Vanderbilt Surf Colony III
Below: In 1995, Russell received the Bar Service Medal.
As was explained earlier, during his life, Russell belonged to many organizations, had many leadership roles, received numerous awards and recognitions, and was roasted. He had many hobbies, some of which were discussed above and some which will be discussed below.
Memberships throughout his life included: Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity; Chi Phi Social Fraternity; American, Federal, Ohio State (Council of Delegates) and Columbus Bar Association; Board of Governors of Columbus Bar Association (President 1973-74, service medal 1993); Lawyers Club; Agonis Club; Columbus Chamber of Commerce; 37th Division Veterans Association; past-President Buckeye Republican Club; Commissioner, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority 1968-74, Chairman Franklin County Republican Committee 1974-78, American Judicature Society, Presidents Club Ohio State University, the Ohio Historical Society, American Legion, First Community Church, and Central College Church.
Below: Russell's American Legion Hat.
Honors: Selected as one of the ten Outstanding Young Men of Columbus in 1956 and in 1957 by the Columbus Junior Chamber of Commerce; Significant Achievement Award by Bexley High School Alumnae Association in 1989; and Lifetime Achievement Award by the Franklin County Republican Party. Russell was recognized in Who’s Who in the Midwest, American Law, America, World, and Century.
Hobbies: Russell loved taking photographs his entire life. As camera technology improved, he bought new cameras. He was an avid reader, concentrating on the newspapers, Time and Newsweek Magazines and biographies. His record collection was extensive. He loved to listen to music of nearly every genre except rap. He cut records when he was young. From an early age, he never missed a home Ohio State Buckeye game and did many road trips to root for the team when there were "away" games. On one occasion, Russell drove Helen to Columbia, South Carolina for her sister’s birthday. On Saturday morning he flew back to Columbus to see the Buckeyes play football. Susan (his daughter) picked him up at the airport, went with him to the game, and drove him back to the airport so he could fly back to Columbia.
Throughout his life, he collected autographs. After his death his daughter found a large folder of autographs from big band group members, politicians, and athletes. A few are shown below:
Below: These four images are of the cover and some of the inside pages of the "1941 Easter Hops" presented by the HOP COMMITTEE OF THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE". Russ attended the event and collected autographs. Image 1 autographs of : Don Lodice (American jazz tenor saxoponist), Clark Yocum (American jazz guitarist and vocalist), and Tommy Dorsey (American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor, and bandleader of the big band era). Image 2: autographs of Heinie Beau (American jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist, and swing clarinetist) and Chuck Peterson (trumpeter of the swing era). Image 4 autograph of Frank Sinatra (Vocalist). There are additional autographs on the program, but the webmaster couldn't discern them.
Below: Russell had Archie Griffin sign the back of one of his own law firm cards. Archie is a former American football running back who played seven seasons in the National Football League Cincinnati Bengals. As a college football player for Ohio State University, he is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner.
Below: Russell attended a political event that was also attended by a number of political dignitaries: One of those dignitaries was John Connally. John served as the 39th governor of Texas and as the 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury. John signed this photograph for Russell. At the bottom of the photograph, Russell and John are exchanging grins.
Below is a letter of response that Russell received from a letter he had written to Warren Berger, The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Below: Russell was John Kasich's campaign manager when he ran for State Senator.
Russell loved ordering gadgets from catalogs, and was labeled by one son-in-law as "Gadget King." Also, he enjoyed adventure: Two of the highlights of his life were riding in a hot-air balloon and riding in the Concorde. He adored going to the Indianapolis 500 every year and in his earlier years, he loved to fish.
Below: Russell enjoyed a good time with this staff. October 18, 1996
Below: At the age of 79, Russell had purchased tickets for the 2002 season, but died before the season began. That year, OSU won the national championship. After his death, his oldest daughter found many OSU ticket stubs and programs, which now belong to Russ' oldest grandson. The ticket stub below was from an away game at the big rival University of Michigan in 1967.
Russell loved to go to the Indianapolis 500 races and year after year he purchased tickets for his friends.
Below: After his death, his oldest daughter found many ticket stubs and programs from the Indianapolis 500 races. They are now in the possession of Russ' oldest grandson. The tickets below are dated and have photographs of the winners from the year before: 1964 Parnelli Jones, 1965 A. J. Foyt, 1966 Jim Clark, 1969 Bobby Unser, 1970 Mario Andretti, 1972 Al Unser, and 1978 A .J. Foyt. Below the tickets is one garage area pass for 1975 and one pit pass for 1975.
Below: Here, with a pit pass and his camera, he posed for a picture.
Below: Two of the many Indianapolis 500 Races Russell attended.
Russell and Helen went on many trips with friends. Trips included away OSU games, trips out west, and a trip to Canada to see Phantom of the Opera. The last trip they took with friends was aboard the Concorde followed by a cruise on the QE-II.
Left: The Concorde (photo: courtesy of a Concorde web site: <www.concordesst.com>)
Circa 1998, Russ, Helen and son-in law Jim and daughter Susan sailed Russ’ boat down the Muskingham River through the lochs and into the Ohio River.
Below: Shown here, Russell enjoyed the sunny day along the Muskingham River. He often commented on how much he had loved that trip and wanted to do it again.
Below: In 1999, the booklet below was published by the Ohio Regional Association of Law Libraries. It highlights the first 50 years of the association. On a copied page from the booklet, is described the founding meeting in 1949. There were 13 people in attendance at that meeting. In red, Mr. Russell Leach, Reference Librarian, Ohio State University College of Law. Russell would have been 27.
Below: Left: Russell and Helen. Right: Russell and his two grandsons Kyle and Charlie.
Below Left and Middle: Russell in his later years. At Right: 2000: Russell and Helen on their 55th wedding anniversary.
Below Left: Russell with his sister, Jane, in 2001. Below Right: Russell's signature.
In Early July 2002, Russell went to a required class as a Court of Claims Judge. These meetings were required for judges to attend in order to be able to continue in the courtroom. He would be 80 years old in one and 1/2 months (August 1st) and be forced into retirement because of his age. He returned from the meeting, and shared that it had been very cold in the meeting room and that the air conditioner was blowing directly on him. A few days later, he felt very ill. Several days later, his family and doctor convinced him that we needed to take him to the hospital. We went to Riverside Memorial Hospital and he was immediately admitted. Doctors determined that he had developed pneumonia from pseudomonas bacteria. He was put on a respirator in ICU. He passed away on June 15th.
Russell's obituary is as follows: Russell Leach, age 79, Saturday, June 15th of pneumonia. Court of Claims Judge State of Ohio; previously City Attorney of Columbus, Municipal Judge of Franklin County, and partner with Bricker & Eckler Law Firm. Served in the US. Army 1942-46 and 51-53. Member of Central College Presbyterian Church. Past-president of Columbus Bar Association; past president of Buckeye Republican Club; past chairman of Franklin County Republican Party; member of Presidents Club of Ohio State University, Moorings Country Club of Naples, Florida, Buckeye Lake Yacht Club, and many other organizations. One of the ten Outstanding Young Men of Columbus in 1956 and 1957; lifetime Achievement Award by the Franklin County Republican Party. Graduate of Ohio State University College of Law. Proud participant in Red Cross Blood Donation Program (donated in excess of 12 gallons.) Preceded in death by parents Charles and Hazel Leach; sister, Dorothy Leach, and brother Robert Leach. Survived by wife of 57 years, Helen Sharpe Leach; children Susan Snyder and husband James, Terry Leach, and Ann Samuelson and husband, Brian; sister Jane Webster; grandchildren Charles and Carrie Leach, and Kyle , Kate, and Kelly Samuelson; step grandchildren Christie Snyder and Bethany Hudnutt; and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Below: This article appeared in the Columbus Dispatch after Russell’s death. A transcript of this article follows:
JUDGE RUSSELL LEACH
"Passion for bench marked long career
It was going to be Judge Russell Leach’s last year on the bench.
His career had included being the Columbus city attorney, a Municipal Court judge and chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party.
Still, nearing the age of 80, he wanted to keep his law license.
Leach, who was still hearing cases in May, died last Saturday of pneumonia. The Upper Arlington resident was 79.
“He treated people so good in court and out of court, I could believe that even if he ruled against you, you’d still respect him,” said Court of Claims Judge Fred J. Shoemaker.
Leach was born in Columbus and grew up in Bexley, graduating from Bexley High School in 1939. His father, Charles Leach was a judge in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court from 1929 to 1950.
Russell Leach served with the Army from 1942 to 1946 and received an undergraduate degree from Ohio State University.
Leach went on to get his law degree from OSU in 1949.
He began his trip up the legal ladder in 1951 as an assistant city attorney. He was called to duty during the Korean War as a staff judge advocate in Louisiana. When Leach returned to Columbus in 1952, he continued work at the city attorney’s office. He was the city attorney from 1957 to 1963.
But his real love was being a judge, said friends and family.
“He had an opportunity to take the law and make something fair. He wasn’t creating the law, he was ruling whether it was fair or not, “ said Susan Snyder of Upper Arlington, his daughter.
Leach became a Municipal Court judge in 1963, but resigned in 1966 to join the law firm of Bricker, Evatt, Barton, Eckler & Niehoff, now Bricker & Eckler. He was with the firm from 1966 to 1988, which gave him opportunity to serve as the president of the Columbus Bar Association from 1973 to 1974, and as Franklin County Republican Party chairman from 1974 to 1978.
In 1988, he became an Ohio Court of Claims judge, a position he held until his death.
“Everybody loved Russ- he was brutally honest and he had high integrity and he could be stubborn as hell when he thought he was right," said Shoemaker, who has also served on the Court of Claims since 1988.
When he wasn’t in the courtroom, Leach would often attend Buckeye football games-he went to every home game, Snyder said.
Leach is survived by his wife, Helen Sharpe Leach; sister Jane Webster; daughters Susan Snyder and Ann Samuelson; and son Terry Leach.
A funeral service was held Thursday at Central College Presbyterian Church in Westerville."
Below: This article appeared in the Upper Arlington News after Russell’s death.
On June 21, 2002, the day after Russell died, the Bricker Law Firm posted an online tribute to Russ on their law firm website. Although Russell had left the firm 17 years earlier, the mutual love and respect of the law firm's members for Russ is evident in the tribute. To read the tribute, written by Bert Kram, click here.
Below: This drawing of Russell is displayed at the Bricker Law Firm.
Susan Leach Snyder’s (#2) memories of her father's expressions: What Dad would say: Translation:
"anywho": anyhow
"How ye be?": How are you?
"Um, Um, Um": words to fill a pause
"Se yez": see you
"Suzzell, Suz": Susan
"Anneroid, Froggie Fuzz": Ann
" Terrance": Terry
"Chas": Charlie
"Carrence": Carrie
"James": Jim
“Hell if I know”: response to “How are you, Dad?”Susan's favorite memories of her father:
- Dad and I going to see the movie “Titantic” because neither Jim (Susan's husband)or Mom wanted to see it. We sat in the 3rd row. I felt seasick.
- Dad and I going to see “Jesus Christ Super Star” at the Ohio Theatre. We both liked it.
- All the magazines and news articles that Dad would label “SSLS” or “SUZ” with a small yellow stick-um note and give to me.
- My working on the continuation of the work Dad had done with our genealogy and getting to share what I’d found out with him. Taking him to some cemeteries so we could both take digital pictures.
- My making him a copy of the genealogy and putting it in a notebook and frequently updating it. Also my making a calendar of relatives. He was thrilled with both. He shared both the notebook and the calendar with a lot of people and he told me they were impressed. He said, “They think it’s pretty neat.”
- Football games with Dad. He dressed from head to toe in OSU stuff, with a radio in his pocket and binoculars around his neck. On game days he hung the OSU flag outside the garage. I have that flag and hang it out on OSU game days.
- When the Space Shuttle with the teacher, Christa McCullife, exploded, Dad came to Jones Middle School, where I taught to see how I was. (I'd applied to be the first teacher in space.)
- Every time there was a space shuttle launched and we were in Florida, Mom, Dad, Jim and I watched.....encouraged by Dad’s enthusiasm and reminders that it was going to happen.
- Night fishing with Dad at the Liebs Island (Buckeye Lake) dock, holding onto a trot line for carp and seeing a meteor shower. He shared that it was the first time he’d seen such a thing.
- Jim (Susan's husband), Mom, Dad and I going through locks on the Muskingham River on a 2-day trip in his boat. Many months/years after the trip, he kept saying it was “neat” and he wanted to do it again.
- Jim, Dad, and I in a rented boat catching fish in the river by the Florida Condo. Dad kept catching puffer fish.
- I don’t remember the visit, but I guess the first time he saw me after my birth, he brought me a pink monkey. I still have it.
- My growing up in a house where there was always music. Dad loved his records.
- Dad finding small turtles, bringing them for me to raise and naming one Russell and the other Terrance. He was always asking about the health of my other turtles, Ralph and Ruby.
- His likes in food included White Castle Hamburgers, Chef Boy-R-Dee Spaghetti, Senate Bean soup, chicken pot pies, steak and seafood fondue, Mom’s Brunswick stew, lima beans, tapioca pudding, and banana creme pie....but he never really had a very big appetite. His favorite snacks were potato chips, pretzels, Necco Wafers, Juji Fruit candy, and licorice.
- He hated standing in line at buffet restaurants because he said it reminded him of mess in the army, and he'd had enough of that.
- I remember as a little girl, sitting in his lap and smelling his fingers. I liked the spell of the tobacco from his cigarettes.
- My being issued a speeding ticket while I was driving his Mercedes sports car. He and I were on our way to Buckeye Lake to trade the Mercedes for his Mercedes station wagon. He thought I should pay the ticket. I didn’t. I got an attorney to represent me, and I got off because the officer never showed up.
- Dad loved to read and his favorite place to do it was in the bathtub. The last book he was reading when he died was a very thick volume about Nixon.
Lifetime Events Summary:
Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com
