James J. Leonard's Obituary
James John Leonard, 86, of Tampa, Florida, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 6, 2026.
James retired from Electric Supply Inc. of Tampa in December 2014 after 19 years of dedicated service as Fleet Manager. Before joining Electric Supply in 1996, he worked as Fleet Manager for Spaulding Bakeries, Gary’s U-Pull-It, and Serafini Transportation in the Binghamton and Vestal, New York areas.
Born and raised in Binghamton, James grew up working in his father’s gas station and garage, which sparked his lifelong love of cars. After graduating from Binghamton High School in 1958, he opened his first auto body shop in Kirkwood, NY in 1959, later relocating the business to Vestal. He then spent 16 years as a proud member of Teamsters Union 693, operating heavy off-road construction vehicles. His passion for restoring and rebuilding automobiles continued throughout his life, especially in his home garage.
During his retirement years, James enjoyed several fun and unique jobs, including transporting cars (sometimes exotic) between St. Petersburg and Orlando, working at Busch Gardens, and even becoming a professional clown so he could join his wife, Raquel, in her outreach programs serving children from Venezuela and Tampa.
He was an avid Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and loved simple pleasures—Hooters chicken wings, Krispy Kreme donuts, and morning coffee. James had a remarkable way of connecting with people; he knew someone everywhere he went and left a lasting impression on all who met him.
James is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Raquel Ache’ Leonard (Venezuela); his children Richard (Mary Durkin) Leonard of Goodlettsville, TN; Christine (Ryan) Sprauer of Castroville, TX; and Corinda (Nick, deceased) Chwalek of Apex, NC; grandchildren Shannon, Stephanie, Lauren, and Logan; great-grandchildren David and Grace; and his sister Nancy Williams of Johnson City, NY and her sons Michael, Ricky, Patrick (deceased), and Matthew.
He is also survived by his stepchildren Vilma Ache of Las Vegas, NV; Keyla (Thomas) Hayden of British Columbia, Canada; Maria Alejandra Munoz of Tampa, FL; Natalia Munoz of Houston, TX; Adriana (Fouad) Noureddin of Ruskin, FL; his grandson Brilly (Talia) Gomez; and his beloved cat, Coco.
James—Jim, Jimbo—will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who loved him.
A memorial to celebrate Jim’s life will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Boza & Roel, 4730 N. Armenia Avenue in Tampa, FL.
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