Joyce Marie Leonard
July 8, 1931-May 21, 2025
Palo Alto, California
Joyce Leonard passed away peacefully at her home in Palo Alto surrounded by her loving family on May 21st. She was two months shy of her 94th birthday.
Joyce was born in Honor, Michigan to Carl and Helen Green. Joyce, her two sisters and her brother enjoyed life on the family’s farm near Traverse City, with woods, cherry orchards, and Lake Michigan nearby. This setting fostered Joyce’s love of nature and the outdoors from an early age and influenced her passion for the environment later in life.
She began her education in a one-room schoolhouse and went on to graduate from Central Michigan University with a BA in Education. Joyce’s first job out of college was a teacher for the second grade. During her summers, she enrolled in the University of Michigan to pursue a master’s degree in education. It was during this time she met the love of her life, Bob Leonard, and a 70-year love affair began. Five years later, Joyce and Bob accepted an opportunity to move to California for his work. In 1961, they left their families, and with their four-year old daughter in tow and pregnant with twins, they drove across the country to settle in Palo Alto where they have lived happily for 64 years.
Joyce’s first and most important career was that of a loving wife and mother. Despite her hectic home life with four children under the age of five, Joyce was a community builder and found time to volunteer and give back whenever possible. She pursued many community activities including becoming president of the Palo Alto Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and of Neighbor’s Abroad (Palo Alto’s Sister City Program). She was also Chairwoman of the Palo Alto Pest Study Committee, advisory member of the War on Waste Committee for the City of Palo Alto, and a classroom tutor at the local elementary school.
Once her children reached middle school age, Joyce was ready to pursue a full-time career involving her life-long passion, the environment. It is no mistake that her maiden name was Green, and she was a true trailblazer in the environmental movement. In the early 1970’s Joyce co-authored a book through AAUW titled “If You Want To Save The Environment, Start at Home.” The book, nicknamed “The Little Green Book,” was distributed across the US and in 35 countries, and was used as a model for grass-roots environmental activism. She then went to work for Sempervirens Fund, California’s oldest land trust, founded to preserve and expand the redwoods and parkland in the Santa Cruz mountains. Joyce dedicated 15 years to Sempervirens, where she was primarily responsible for fundraising and development work, and she helped to shape and grow the organization into what it is today. After her work at Sempervirens Fund, Joyce joined the Peninsula Open-Space Trust (POST). Later she co-led a project to commemorate a portion of San Francisquito Creek near El Palo Alto.
Joyce retired in 1996 along with Bob, and they spent their golden years traveling the world together and with their children. Joyce was a doting mother, grandmother and great grandmother, and cherished her time with family. A highlight for her was the family’s annual trip back to her beloved cottage on Lake Michigan each summer.
Joyce had a fun and adventurous spirit. Her sense of humor delighted all who knew her, including her caregivers. Her love of music was contagious, and prompted by a word or phrase, she was known to spontaneously break into song, reciting every word from memory. She also took every opportunity possible to practice her dance moves with Bob. Joyce loved to cook, and her pies were legendary. On weekends, you could find her delivering pies and other goodies to neighbors and sick friends. She was also a lifelong learner and a voracious reader. She began to study Russian in retirement and traveled there with Bob just so she could use her newfound language skills.
Joyce was also athletic and enjoyed hiking, aerobics, and golf. Her true passion, however, was ice skating. She was a regular fixture and the Palo Alto Winter Club for over 50 years and only stopped skating due to a fall on the ice at the age of 83 (doctor’s orders).
Years ago, Joyce made a list of goals for herself for the ensuing ten years. One was to be a ‘good citizen of the world’...she clearly accomplished that and will be missed by so many.
Our family is forever grateful to the staff at Sutter Hospice, Ana Grijalva and especially to Juana Martinez, her live-in caregiver, for giving Joyce loving care, compassion, and companionship.
Joyce is preceded in death by her Father (Carl), her Mother (Helen), Sister (Ruth), Brother, (Kenneth). She is survived by her sister, Pat (Donald), her husband, Bob, her son Bob Jr, her daughters Beth (Brian), Lisa (Steve), Susan (Steve), nephew Paul (Sandy), granddaughter Jennifer (Nick), Grandsons, Justin, Elliot and Henry, and great grandchildren, Elli, Mason and Quinn. She also leaves behind a wealth of friends.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Joyce’s honor to Sempervirens Fund.
Tags: public service
