Gavin Leedy

H. Gavin Leedy, age 94, of Delray Beach, FL, passed away on March 12, 2021, following a stroke. Surviving Gavin is his beloved wife of 76 years Gin, daughter Lindy Leedy Paull, granddaughter Heather Leone (David), grandson Gavin Leedy (Jenny), and great granddaughters, Sierra and Anabel.

Gavin served in the United States Navy during World War II and was recalled into active service during the Korean War. During his time in the Navy, Gavin taught radio communications and assisted code breaking teams.

Gavin spent his working career pursuing excellence and innovation. In his early career, he served as a sound and communications engineer in the aerospace and motion picture industries, working for Pan American World Airlines, RCA, and Altec Service Corporation. Among his many assignments during this period, he was especially proud of going to Cape Kennedy during various space launches to troubleshoot any communications problems that might arise.

He spent the rest of his career working for Southern Bell and AT&T, where he focused on telecommunications business systems. He developed an extraordinary track record for rapidly resolving the most elusive problems involving the malfunction of complex telecommunications arrangements, incompatibilities, and transmission impairments. Gavin was honored to be invited to work at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Denver, CO, where he spent the last six years of his career developing new telecommunications products and working on technical standards for telecommunications systems and interfaces. His passion for innovation led to the development of several widely used inventions, including some that were patented.

Gavin earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Miami. He was a member of the Florida Engineering Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, and the Pioneers.

Gavin was a devoted family man. He and his sweetheart Gin were married as teenagers and enjoyed 76 wonderful years together. They shared a very special love that grew stronger as the years went by. Their life was full of adventure, family visits, raising their son and daughter, travelling, playing bridge, ballroom dancing, and fun times with friends and families. They were active members of the Delray Beach Club for many years. Gavin especially treasured summer visits with his grandchildren, Heather and Gavin, when they were young.

Gavin tackled home projects with relish--he could fix and improve anything, often using common household items in unique ways. Gavin had a wide range of other interests, too. He was a life-long player of Contract Bridge with Gin as his partner; he loved musical performances, especially symphonies, operas, and concerts; he built elaborate model train settings with running trains; he learned to play the piano; he designed and wore elaborate Halloween costumes with Gin; and he celebrated Christmas with festive displays of decorations and lights inside and outside their home. Gavin was a devoted member of the Episcopal faith and served as a Stephen Minister who visited people in need.

Gavin’s family wishes to sincerely thank his home health care team, Lee, Marie and Rose, for their dedication, compassion and great care of Gavin during the last four years.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at Babione-Kraeer Funeral Home, 1100 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33432. A private family burial will follow at Hollywood Memorial Gardens North. Gavin will be laid to rest near his beloved son, Gavin Leedy, who died of cancer in 1978.

Those wishing to remember Gavin are welcome to make a memorial contribution to St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach, FL 33435.

My Dad (Gavin Leedy)

by Lindy Paull

March 23, 2021

Thank you so much for being with us today. Thanks too to Bill, my rock of support, and Dad’s home health care team -- Lee, Mary, and Rose – who are with us too. It is not easy to gather in the middle of a deadly pandemic so we really appreciate you coming.

I hope I will be able to speak a few words about Dad without too much emotion.

Let me start with the bottom line. I was blessed to have a wonderful man as my father for my 72 years. I know Mom feels blessed to have shared her life with Dad for over 76 years, after meeting him at fraternity party during World War II.

Dad was full of kindness, compassion, dedication and love. He never missed a chance to tell Mom and me that he loved us.

He always greeted you with a bright smile. His smile radiated happiness to see you. I will never forget his smile.

When he shook hands, Dad had a super powerful grip. My response was YIKES, that hurts! There was that smile again, but with a peevish twinkle in his eye. His handshake didn’t seem to bother the guys, but the ladies agreed with me, it hurt!

For as long as I can remember, Dad loved road trips. He had an innate sense of direction, making driving effortless. When I was a kid, we often drove from Louisiana to Miami to visit Mom’s mother Goldie. When I was ten or eleven, we drove across country from New Orleans to La Jolla California to see Mom’s sister Lola and her family. It was a memorable trip – we visited the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Hoover Dam, Carlsbad Caverns, and Disneyland, before there was Disney World here in Florida. When I moved to Washington DC and Alexandria Va 40 years ago, Dad often drove with Mom to visit me.

Whenever Dad visited, he would take charge of any repairs and improvements that needed to be done -- whether I knew there was a problem or not. Dad could fix anything. It was not a chore … he simply enjoyed doing it.

That reminds me of a father-knows-best moment. During one of their visits, I came home from work and Dad announced he had signed me up for a new fiber optic cable and wifi system. He said he had to do something since the quality of my current cable service was so poor. He had that twinkle in his eye and his bright smile. He supervised the installation and he was right. My TV picture was much better. I still use this service to this day.

Dad was a life-long learner. As a boy, he regularly visited a scientific research center after school in Washington, DC. He was fascinated by the work they were doing and tried to learn as much as he could. His quest for knowledge was a continuous thread in his life. He worked hard, experimented, researched and used his knowledge to make a difference.

Six years ago, Dad had a stroke. After the initial fog lifted, he found that the things that were once easy for him, no longer were so easy. He did not feel sorry for himself. He did not complain. He moved forward with his life. He knew his priority was to enjoy life to the fullest with Mom and he held on to this forever. I can’t imagine two more committed and devoted people than my parents. They shared 76 years of true love.

I am very fortunate to have had such a wonderful Dad. He made a huge difference in my life. I will miss him dearly. Mom will too.

Thank you again for coming today, and I hope you will join us for a reception after the service.