Tony
Leonard died Saturday in a Lexington nursing home; he was 89.
For
those of you who didn't know him (and I wish I had known him better) let
me sum up his long, achievement-filled life in one four letter word: L-O-V-E.
Tony
came here in the early '60s as a nightclub entertainer, and fell in love with
the Blue Grass. He was to stay fifty years.
He loved to perform and he was pretty good. He sang the national anthem at Yankee
Stadium, and often sang to open UK games in Rupp Arena.
While
here he got to know and love horses, and soon his hobby of taking their
pictures became his full time profession. He loved photography , and
was pretty good at that, too. His pictures won an Eclipse award; a
top racing honor. He won an international photo award and was named
personal photographer to Queen Elizabeth when she visited here to see her
horses.
But
nothing in his life of love surpassed that of his love for Adelle, his wife of
66 years. She worked with him first as an entertainer, later urged him to
make photography his real work, and encouraged him throughout their life
together.
When
her health--and his--failed, they moved into an assisted living facility
together. Later, she worsened and had to be moved into a full time nursing
home. Tony, who could have stayed in the assisted living facility, went with
her..and there he died, holding Adelle's hand.
In
their last few years, the couple's declining medical and financial conditions
made them first, wards of the state and then placement in a guardianship
program. Articles in the Herald-Leader spotlighted the inadequate care this
understaffed, underfunded program was giving them, and eventually led to the
assisted living placement.
Hopefully
their example, even in this time of bare budgets, may lead to better programs
for taking care of the elderly..maybe yours, maybe in time, even you.
If
so, the love Tony (and Adelle) gave us in so many ways, will be repaid,
at least partially.
Farewell,
Tony...and thanks for the love.
I'm just sayin'...
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