Leon J. Szymanski Jr.
Szymanski, Leon J. (Jr.) of Pitman, NJ passed away suddenly on February 8, 2020. He is survived by his mother Grace (nee Passwater), sons Scott (Aimee) and Dan (Amy), and granddaughters Angelique and Taryn.
He served in the United States Air Force (307th Munitions Maintenance Squadron) from 1968 to 1972, spending time in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Thailand. He was very proud of his service and loved to share stories about racing two and a half ton trucks laden with bombs down the flight line at U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand. Lee was very organized and detail oriented, which led him into a drafting career after the service. From private companies contracted out to the military, to a county engineering job from which he eventually retired. He plotted out and drafted everything from HVAC systems on US Navy ships to highways and bridges around the county. After work and on weekends, he handled all kinds of home repairs, as well as attended craft shows in order to sell his expertly crafted shelves and knick-knacks. Retirement led to newfound hobbies, including twiddling his thumbs (yes, for real), critiquing Portland’s front doors, and collecting gadgets of all kinds. There wasn’t a single air fryer, blender or pressure washer on the home shopping shows that he hadn’t bought, used once or twice, and then shelved to make room for a new gadget. Lee was a big Phillies fan and consistently shared game updates. He was almost never in agreement with the coach and was very vocal with his opinion about when the pitcher needed to be pulled or left in just a little bit longer. His companions through it all were “Doozer”, the shih-tzu who spent most of his time sitting on Lee’s lap, and a 20-something year old mail-away frog. Lee’s most recent “job” in his role as grandfather was providing a taxi service for his youngest granddaughter (Taryn), including trips to school every morning and picking her up every afternoon. A bright moment in his day was always their contest on the way home, seeing who could yell the loudest. When his older granddaughter (he called her Angie) would come by and visit, he was quick to slip her some gas money. He was always the first to offer assistance, always the most likely to lose his patience, and always the one with the worst “dad” jokes. He will be missed.
Funeral services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. Funeral arrangements by DuBois Funeral Home, 700 South White Horse Pike, Audubon, NJ. 08106. Condolences: www.duboisfuneralhome.net