Jay Franklin Leonard

Jay Franklin Leonard, age 87, of Kinnelon passed away peacefully on Tuesday February 9, 2021 while receiving the loving care of his wife, Amy (nee Pifer).

Jay was born and raised in Marysville, PA, the only child to Jesse and Ruth Leonard.  While growing up in Marysville, Jay became fascinated with automobiles.  As a young boy, he worked at a gas station owned by his uncle.  His small hands proved to be an asset, enabling him to get into parts of cars that adult hands could not reach.  Jay attended Harrisburg Academy and was a member of the graduation class of 1951.  While at Harrisburg Academy, Jay acquired a 1929 Reo Flying Cloud automobile, beginning a passion that continued throughout his life.

Jay began his college education studying engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Unfortunately, Jay’s father had a sudden heart attack.  Because Jay’s mother had died previously, when Jay was only twelve years old, Jay transferred from MIT to Lehigh University so that he could be closer to his dad and come home on weekends.  Jay received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Lehigh University in 1955.

While at Lehigh University, Jay began working for Philco Corporation, a pioneer in radio and television production. Philco was later acquired by Ford Motor Company.  After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Jay remained at Philco-Ford as an electrical engineer, dealing primarily with military projects, such as air-to-air and ground-to-air missiles, including the Sidewinder - - one of the first heat seeking missiles.  Along the way, Jay earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His master’s thesis could not be published because it dealt with classified military secrets.  After twenty-two years at Philco, Jay worked for Kearfott for twenty years, then, GTE, and eventually BAE systems.  Jay retired from BAE in 1998, but returned as a consultant for almost ten more years.

Jay’s greatest passion was REO Motor Company cars.  He owned and restored a 1929 REO Flying Cloud as well as a REO Royale.  Jay was an active, long- time member of the REO Club of America, as well as the American Automotive Car Association (AACA) in Hershey, PA, and its New Jersey chapter.  Jay served as an AACA judge in restoration competitions for many years.   As Jay grew older, he donated his REO vehicles to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, MI, the last one only a week before his passing.

Jay enjoyed frequent, regular, and informal gatherings of a group of fellow engineers.  This group would get together to share and compare their latest and greatest audio recording equipment.  Members of the group and their spouses often attended operas and Philadelphia Orchestral performances.  

Jay literally grew up with Amy.  Jay’s and Amy’s fathers were fraternity brothers and close friends.  Friends and family would  joke that Jay and Amy had their first date as infants - - in their strollers.  Jay and Amy officially began dating early in high school.  They were married at Washington Chapel in Valley Forge Park and settled in Philadelphia for a short time, later moving to Ambler, PA.  On Christmas in 1975, Jay and Amy moved to the Smoke Rise Community in Kinnelon.  Jay and Amy cherished sixty-three years of loving and loyal marriage together.  Jay was a brilliant, extraordinary person who touched the lives of many people.