Joseph Edward Leitgeb passed away of natural causes at the age of 91. He was born in Northampton, PA to Joseph Leitgeb and Stella (Weiss) and raised in Waldwick, NJ. He is survived by his daughter Susan (Michael), Carol (Dan), Patrick (Roma) and three grandsons. He is preceded in death by his wife Mary (Dell) and brother Donald.
After graduating high school, Joe earned his B.A. from Pratt Institute and M.S. from MIT with a degree in chemical engineering. He was hired by Standard Oil of California, later renamed Chevron Corporation, and soon headed west working at their Richmond facility and San Francisco corporate office enjoying a rewarding 33-year career working in several departments. In 1967, Joe accepted a two-year assignment in India where a fertilizer manufacturing company was formed whose purposewasfor India to become self-sustainable in crop growing. With Joe’s chemical engineering background, he was instrumental in the project and his contributions are still recognized today. During this time, Chevron recognized his outgoing personality which led to his years of recruiting and as a manager of the human resources department.
Shortly after moving to the Bay Area, Joe joined a Catholic club and met the love of his life, Mary, in 1962. They married in 1965 and settled in Oakland, California where they raised their children attending Corpus Christi Church. Joe was actively involved in his children’s school activities, coaching youth basketball and served as president of the school board.
After retiring in 1992, Joe and Mary moved to Durham, NC where they built their dream home and joined Treyburn Country Club. This is where Joe continued his lifelong love for the game of golf and proudly hit the elusive hole-in-one in 2002! During their 11 years in Durham, they also enjoyed visiting many Civil War sites in the Southland and traveled several times to Europe visiting Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Hungry, Germany, England, and the Netherlands. Missing family, Joe and Mary decided to return to California and settled in San Ramon until he passed.
Joe had many interests and hobbies. He received his first Lionel train set as a young boy which developed into a passion for model trains and enjoyed setting up an elaborate display every year at Christmastime. He was an astronomy enthusiast who loved gazing through his telescope on clear nights. A huge sports fan, Joe cheered for the Oakland Raiders (especially during the John Madden era), Oakland Athletics and Golden State Warriors. On Saturdays, he could often be found watching college football rooting for his favorite teams.
Joe had a positive, cheerful personality, loved to entertain and dance to big band-era music. He never missed an opportunity to raise a glass with his many friends and family. He was a devoted husband, happily married for 57 years and a sweet, loving father and grandfather. He will be deeply missed.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/obituaries/joseph-edward-leitgeb-san-ramon-ca/
