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October 3, 2009
Services
Visitation with the family will be from 5-8 PM on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at the Trinity Baptist Church, 160 Changebridge Road, Montville, NJ.
A 10 AM Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the church.
Interment will be in the First Reformed Church Cemetery, Pompton Plains.
Leslie was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, and the youngest of 13 children. During the early months of his life, his parents learned that Leslie was deaf. He was born without any eardrums. Therefore, at the age of 3 his parents enrolled Leslie in the Lexington School for the Deaf in Manhattan. At 6 years of age, he was transferred to the New York School for the Deaf in White Plains, New York as his father had died recently.
Leslie’s first language was American Sign Language (ASL). However, in order to give him some hearing capability surgery was performed when Leslie was 9 years old and he received two artificial eardrums. From this point, Leslie could hear although he still had a hearing loss and he began to learn to speak English.
Because of this event in his life, Leslie was “mainstreamed” into a regular public school at the age of 14. In this school, Leslie received Speech Therapy and was encouraged by a teacher to read The New York Times in order to improve his English skills. He graduated from this school, PS 47 in Manhattan.
Upon graduating, Leslie attended a vocational school in Manhattan in order to learn the trade of type-setting and printing. During this employment Leslie realized that he needed to further develop his knowledge of the English language as well as his verbal English skills if he was to succeed in life. He again began to read The New York Times while viewing himself in a mirror in order to enhance his spoken English. This was time consuming and an arduous task but he was determined to improve his communication skills.
Leslie’s next employment was work for a company manufacturing contact lenses. He became an expert machinist and polisher and thoroughly enjoyed this work.
In 1958, a significant event occurred in Leslie’s life. He was invited by a friend to attend a “Sweet 16” birthday party. At this party he met his future wife, Marie Luise Buonocore who was also deaf. On October 20, 1962 Leslie and Marie Luise were married and lived happily together until Leslie’s death.
Another life-transforming event occurred in Leslie’s and Marie Luise’ lives when they attended a Bible study in Staten Island. The Lord Jesus Christ graciously saved both husband and wife and they began a life-long journey of studying the Bible. At this time, they became members of a church for the Deaf in Garden City, Long Island, New York. During their years there, Leslie became a Bible study teacher, a sign language interpreter for the Deaf, and counselor to many Deaf who desired biblical direction in their lives.
It soon became clear that Leslie’s primary calling was that of a Bible teacher of the Deaf and in 1985 he moved to Norfolk, Virginia in order to take up the responsibilities of a pastor for the Deaf in a Southern Baptist Church. He labored in that church until 1995 when he moved to Hope Baptist Church in Flanders, New Jersey, another Southern Baptist Church which had an outreach for the Deaf.
Throughout his years in Virginia and New Jersey as Leslie continued to study his Bible, to listen to the preaching of godly pastors, and to read solid Christian literature, his doctrinal convictions changed so that he embraced what are often termed “the doctrines of grace”. Because of his biblical convictions, he resigned from the Hope Baptist Church of the Deaf and became a member of Trinity Baptist Church of Montville, New Jersey in 1998. He continued his pastoral work among the Deaf and soon became responsible for Trinity’s Deaf Ministry.
Leslie’s love for Jesus Christ, Christ’s church, the Deaf, and the hearing never lessened during his many years of Gospel service. While at Trinity Baptist Church, he conducted regular Bible studies for the Deaf, taught a weekly Sunday School Class for the Deaf, organized special one-day conferences for the Deaf in the spring and autumn of each year, counseled the Deaf, interpreted the worship services and sermons every Sunday morning and evening, and instructed hearing people to learn ASL.
He was a godly member of Trinity Baptist Church and always manifested a loving, gracious, and humble disposition toward everyone he met and knew. He was a true and faithful friend to numerous people and consistently encouraged them to read, study, and follow the teachings of the Bible. Like John the Baptist, he pointed all to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
He will be greatly missed by all his friends, but we know that he truly is in a better place. He now is with his beloved Savior and all of the redeemed in heaven. He no longer struggles with sin, cancer or a hearing loss. He is rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory forevermore. Surely, his life and death remind us that we must trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and for eternal life. May God help all who knew Leslie to follow him as he followed the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Visitation with the family will be from 5-8 PM on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at the Trinity Baptist Church, 160 Changebridge Road, Montville, NJ.
A 10 AM Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the church.
Interment will be in the First Reformed Church Cemetery, Pompton Plains.
October 3, 2009
Services
Visitation with the family will be from 5-8 PM on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at the Trinity Baptist Church, 160 Changebridge Road, Montville, NJ.
A 10 AM Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the church.
Interment will be in the First Reformed Church Cemetery, Pompton Plains.
Leslie was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, and the youngest of 13 children. During the early months of his life, his parents learned that Leslie was deaf. He was born without any eardrums. Therefore, at the age of 3 his parents enrolled Leslie in the Lexington School for the Deaf in Manhattan. At 6 years of age, he was transferred to the New York School for the Deaf in White Plains, New York as his father had died recently.
Leslie’s first language was American Sign Language (ASL). However, in order to give him some hearing capability surgery was performed when Leslie was 9 years old and he received two artificial eardrums. From this point, Leslie could hear although he still had a hearing loss and he began to learn to speak English.
Because of this event in his life, Leslie was “mainstreamed” into a regular public school at the age of 14. In this school, Leslie received Speech Therapy and was encouraged by a teacher to read The New York Times in order to improve his English skills. He graduated from this school, PS 47 in Manhattan.
Upon graduating, Leslie attended a vocational school in Manhattan in order to learn the trade of type-setting and printing. During this employment Leslie realized that he needed to further develop his knowledge of the English language as well as his verbal English skills if he was to succeed in life. He again began to read The New York Times while viewing himself in a mirror in order to enhance his spoken English. This was time consuming and an arduous task but he was determined to improve his communication skills.
Leslie’s next employment was work for a company manufacturing contact lenses. He became an expert machinist and polisher and thoroughly enjoyed this work.
In 1958, a significant event occurred in Leslie’s life. He was invited by a friend to attend a “Sweet 16” birthday party. At this party he met his future wife, Marie Luise Buonocore who was also deaf. On October 20, 1962 Leslie and Marie Luise were married and lived happily together until Leslie’s death.
Another life-transforming event occurred in Leslie’s and Marie Luise’ lives when they attended a Bible study in Staten Island. The Lord Jesus Christ graciously saved both husband and wife and they began a life-long journey of studying the Bible. At this time, they became members of a church for the Deaf in Garden City, Long Island, New York. During their years there, Leslie became a Bible study teacher, a sign language interpreter for the Deaf, and counselor to many Deaf who desired biblical direction in their lives.
It soon became clear that Leslie’s primary calling was that of a Bible teacher of the Deaf and in 1985 he moved to Norfolk, Virginia in order to take up the responsibilities of a pastor for the Deaf in a Southern Baptist Church. He labored in that church until 1995 when he moved to Hope Baptist Church in Flanders, New Jersey, another Southern Baptist Church which had an outreach for the Deaf.
Throughout his years in Virginia and New Jersey as Leslie continued to study his Bible, to listen to the preaching of godly pastors, and to read solid Christian literature, his doctrinal convictions changed so that he embraced what are often termed “the doctrines of grace”. Because of his biblical convictions, he resigned from the Hope Baptist Church of the Deaf and became a member of Trinity Baptist Church of Montville, New Jersey in 1998. He continued his pastoral work among the Deaf and soon became responsible for Trinity’s Deaf Ministry.
Leslie’s love for Jesus Christ, Christ’s church, the Deaf, and the hearing never lessened during his many years of Gospel service. While at Trinity Baptist Church, he conducted regular Bible studies for the Deaf, taught a weekly Sunday School Class for the Deaf, organized special one-day conferences for the Deaf in the spring and autumn of each year, counseled the Deaf, interpreted the worship services and sermons every Sunday morning and evening, and instructed hearing people to learn ASL.
He was a godly member of Trinity Baptist Church and always manifested a loving, gracious, and humble disposition toward everyone he met and knew. He was a true and faithful friend to numerous people and consistently encouraged them to read, study, and follow the teachings of the Bible. Like John the Baptist, he pointed all to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
He will be greatly missed by all his friends, but we know that he truly is in a better place. He now is with his beloved Savior and all of the redeemed in heaven. He no longer struggles with sin, cancer or a hearing loss. He is rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory forevermore. Surely, his life and death remind us that we must trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and for eternal life. May God help all who knew Leslie to follow him as he followed the Lord Jesus Christ.
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