James Leonard

James L. Leonard (Jim) 68, of Guilderland, New York passed away on April 23, 2023 at Albany Medical Center after a brief illness. Jim was born on June 13, 1954 to Robert J. Leonard, Jr. and Kathryn A. Leonard. He was a graduate of Guilderland Central High School and SUNY Albany with a BS in Psychology and Political Science. Jim retired in 2010 from the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services where he held the position of Chief of Operations in Latent Print Identification. Jim received numerous awards and certifications including the Director of Criminal Justice Leadership award.

Since retiring, Jim and Shelly- his partner of 21 years- have enjoyed many adventures together including ziplining, indoor skydiving, parasailing, jet skiing, and a helicopter ride.

Jim was an avid golfer and enjoyed visiting various golf courses and attending golf tournaments. Jim played in numerous NYS Golf Association Ameteur Series events and their annual NY Men's Championships.

Jim was a soft spoken individual with a wonderful sense of humor and he was always ready for a game of trivia or Jeopardy. He was an ardent reader and loved history, music, and sports.

In addition to his parents, Jim was predeceased by his brothers Robert and John Leonard. Jim is survived by his son James Sullivan (Jay) Leonard, his loving partner Shelly Brosen, his sisters Janis A. Leonard and Ellen M. Dorato, brother Peter M. Leonard, sisters in law Deborah Leonard and Jeanne Leonard, brother in law Michael Dorato, aunts, uncle, cousins and his loving nieces and nephews: Robert J. Leonard, IV, John P. L. (LJ) Leonard, Michael J. Dorato, Janelle Shrader (Matt), Michelle Leonard, Kelsey (Klaus) Ryan and Nicole Leonard and great niece Ava.

Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service to celebrate Jim's life on April 28th from 3 to 6 at New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd. in Colonie.
The family would like to thank Albany Medical Center SICU physicians, nurses and staff for their compassion and care during Jim's stay.