Leonard L. Boyer

Leonard L. Boyer, Jr., Prominent Civic and Community Leader and Well-Known Artist.

Leonard L. Boyer, Jr., of the Highlands at Wyomissing, formerly of 48 Cardinal Road, Wyomissing, died after an extended period of declining health on January 13, 2004 at 1:57 pm where he had been since January 15, 2003. He was 86. He was married more than 62 years to Candis M. (Ginn) Boyer who survives him, also at the Highlands. He dedicated nearly a half-century of his life to local civic and community affairs and was a prominent member of the local art community whose paintings are in private and public collections throughout the country. Born July 18, 1917, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to the late Leonard Lewis Sr., and Nell Virginia (McKinney) Boyer, he was raised in Decatur, Georgia. He graduated from Boys High School, Atlanta, GA, with Military Honors in 1935. A life-long Boy Scout, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout and Naval Scout. As part of his scouting experience he lived with the Sioux Indians for a year. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School in 1939. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, the Sphinx Senior Society (Honor Society), Scabbard and Blade (Military Honor Society), Captain of the Fencing Team, and commissioned as 2nd Lt. in the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He received the Guilfoyle Saber which recognized him as the outstanding young military cadet. He married Candis M. Ginn on October 4, 1941, upon her graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, and was shipped to the South Pacific just days after Pearl Harbor. He spent four years on New Caledonia culminating in the position of Company Commander of the 754 Army Tank Battalion. He remained a Major in the US Army Reserve. Upon return from the service, he worked with the Ginn family business, Enterprise Equipment Company, a commerical restaurant design and equipment company. In 1963 he joined the Bank of Pennsylvania as an estate planning specialist and trust officer. He retired in 1983 as Vice-President. He was the President of the Reading Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters and a graduate of the National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University. Throughout his lifetime of civic and community involvement he served as President of the Reciprocity Club of Reading, President of the Planned Parenthood Center of Berks County, Chairman and life member with over fifty years service of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Treasurer of the United Way of Berks County, Treasurer of the Wyomissing Institute of Fine Arts, Treasurer of the Friends of the Reading Museum, Council member of the Historical Society of Berks County, President of the Berks County Bicentennial Committee to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution, received the Americanism Award from the Daniel Boone National Foundation, and was President of the Berks Art Alliance. He was a member of the Elks Lodge II and Reading Lodge 549 F & AM. He was a member of the Topics Club, Reading and a member of the Berkshire County Club. His life-long love affair with art began with sketches, drawings and cartoons, some published by the Saturday Evening Post. Largely self-taught he went on to specialize in impressionist style landscapes and florals. He was noted as the "best living artist in Pennsylvania" in one of his art show critiques. He donated or sold many hundreds of paintings cherished by family, friends, and collectors. Their "Leonard Boyer" works are prized possessions. He and his family were passionate world travelers, having taken nearly 30 cruises and enjoyed numerous overseas trips. A deeply devoted family-man, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and caring friend, this true Renaissance gentleman leaves behind in addition to his wife, a daughter, Candis Virginia (Boyer) Coxe, Raleigh, NC; granddaughter and son-in-law Deborah and Michael Hensley, two great-granddaughters, Carolyn Olivia Grace and Candace Sarah Ann Elizabeth Hensley, all of Raleigh, NC, brother-in-law Richard C. Ginn of Wyomissing, and nieces and their husbands Barbara and Tim O'Connor, Pottstown; Helen and Tom Daugherty, Lexington Park, MD, and Martha and Herb Hoelter, Baltimore, MD, great-nephew and great-niece Matthew and Sarah O'Connor. He was pre-deceased by his daughter, Carolyn Ann Boyer, Washington, DC in 2002 and two sisters, Jessica (Boyer) Coleman and Alice (Boyer) Spitler. A celebration of his life will be held at Atonement Lutheran Church, Wyomissing, Saturday, January 17 at 10:30 am with visitation at the church at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Wyomissing Public Library, 9 Reading Blvd., Wyomissing, Pa 19610, The Salvation Army, 1225 Lancaster Avenue, Reading, Pa 19607 or to the charity of your choice.