Leonardo Sanchez Pastor

Leonardo Sanchez Pastor was born in the town of Imus, Cavite in the Philippines on November 6, 1938. He grew up in Imus along with seven sisters and two brothers, and after finishing high school at the Imus Institute he joined the U.S. Navy in 1957. One of Leo’s first postings was on the USS Intrepid, which is now a floating museum in New York. Leo’s memories of his time in the Navy were recently added to an oral history exhibit on the experiences of Filipino sailors on the USS Intrepid.

In 1966, Leo married Julieta Tagle in Manila, Philippines. They settled in the United States and raised two children, Ann Marie and Leomarc. A career in the Navy kept Leo and his young family on the move, moving from the East Coast to the West Coast several times before his final posting in San Diego, California. In 1978, after 21 years of service, Leo retired from the Navy with the rank of Chief Petty Officer.

After retirement, Leo embarked on his second career. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and became an instructor at the Naval Training Center for the San Diego Community College District. He taught mess hall management and cooking to hundreds of sailors until his retirement in 1993.

Leo’s pride in his Philippine heritage spurred him to be active in San Diego’s Filipino American community. He served in leadership positions with the Imuseaneans of San Diego, the Cavite Association, and the Council of Philippine American Organizations (COPAO) and was instrumental in several initiatives. He coordinated immigration and naturalization services to assist Filipinos who had just received American citizenship, organized voter registration drives to support Filipino American candidates, and led Operation Jethro, a successful project to raise funds for a child’s heart transplant.

Leo loved gardening in his backyard and traveling with his wife, Juliet. They traveled to the Philippines, Europe, Canada, Hawaii, and all over the U.S. In 2016, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their family and friends. This year marked 57 years of marriage together.

He was proud of his children, Ann Marie, who graduated from the University of San Diego, and Leomarc, who graduated from Northwestern University. Most of all, he loved spending time with his three grandchildren, Madison, Nicolas, and Samuel, and watching them grow up.