John Hamilton Leonard

John sang Waltzing Matilda for the last time on the morning of Thursday, July 16. He passed away peacefully surrounded by the amazing caregivers at Amica in Edgemont Village. He lived an exceptional life and was an incredible husband, father, grandfather, business and community leader. A true gentleman in every sense of the word.

John leaves behind his loving family of 4 children – David, wife Christine, grand-daughters Victoria and Payton, son Tim, daughter Joanne and 2 grandsons Matthew and Nicholas, and son Doug. Shirley, his wife of 50 years and complete love of his life left us on December 11, 2011.

John was born in Sydney Australia May 5th, 1932. An only child of Phyllis and Eric Leonard, he was educated at Newington College where he graduated in 1948. He was proudly the cox of the college’s eight-oared crew. Rowing remained a passion throughout his life and he rowed with the Vancouver Rowing Club for many years and had his last outing was at Henly-on-Thames.

He was fascinated with the advertising business and joined the Sydney office of

J Walter Thompson in 1949 as a trainee. In his 6 years there, he would progress through the PR, production and creative units, and become a “suit” before he left for Canada in 1955. A planned round the world trip with his Aussie mates ended when he met his soon to be wife Shirley at the Jericho Tennis Club Christmas dance in December of that year.

John’s career in the marketing communications business progressed as he worked with MacLaren Advertising, BC Telephone, Baker Lovick Advertising and again with JWT in 1967.

In 1972 he became VP for Western Canada. In 1976 he formed his own agency, Leonard Advertising with his wife Shirley. In 1978 he joined forces with his pal of many years Buzz Walker to form Walker Leonard which eventually was sold in 1989. John remained President until 1991 when he retired from the agency business. During his years, he served on many boards including the Arthritis Society of BC, the Advertising Agency Association of BC, and the National Advertising Benevolent Society where was President for Western Canada. He was inducted into the AAABC hall of fame in 1993. Never one to sit still, he became the founding President of the Probus Club of the North Shore 2003 and was elected to the National Board in 2007.

He inspired us all, with his passions for fly fishing for trout and Steelhead in BC’s Cariboo and the Haida Gwaii, his love of boating, golf with his pals at Capilano Country Club, having the best rose garden on the block, cottage life at Bridge Lake over the last 35 years and his love for his native Australia.

He created family traditions like Chinese take-out dinner from the Ho Inn on rainy Friday nights, deli lunches with a cold Fosters on Saturdays, Roast dinners on Sundays with Nana Leonard. He put Leonard on everything we owned well before Sharpies came along. No matter how busy throughout his life, his wife and family remained his number one priority.