Obie Paul Leonard Jr. of Fort Worth’s historic Leonard’s Department Store dies at 95
Obie Paul Leonard Jr. — the former president of Fort Worth’s Leonard’s Department Store — will be remembered for his love of family and community, those closest to him say. Leonard died May 21 at the age of 95.
“Whatever he undertook, he did so with passion and complete commitment,” his son, Obie Paul Leonard III, said.
Leonard Jr. was born in Fort Worth on May 16, 1926, and attended Paschal High School, TCU and SMU. He served in the Navy during World War II. He had five children, 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. His wife Nancy Leonard lives in Fort Worth.
Leonard Jr.’s family operated Leonard’s Department Store from 1918 to 1967 in downtown Fort Worth. An anchor of downtown, it became a shopping center where you could buy anything from a piano to a packet of pumpkin seeds, and it was were everyone went on Saturdays. The store stretched through seven blocks between Houston, Throckmorton, West Weatherford and West First streets.
Leonard III said his father grew up in the store, worked there and eventually took over the family business.
“That’s what we were, we were Leonard’s,” his son said. “It was a big part of our heritage.”
Leonard Jr. was known as a man of integrity and someone who had a great love for his community, his son said. He was a member of the Exchange Club of Fort Worth and the Bible Study Fellowship and was active in the Boy Scouts, including serving as a scoutmaster. He attended Christ Chapel Bible Church.
“He just loved life, and he was a zealot for whatever he was doing, and it was infectious,” Leonard III said.
When thinking about Leonard Jr., Lauren Leonard, his granddaughter, said she’ll miss his smile, which made her feel like the most important person in the world. She remembers how he was always interested in her life and hobbies.
“He just really touched your heart,” she said.
Lauren Leonard will cherish the times she went hunting and fishing with her grandfather. One of her most prized possessions is a fly fishing rod that her grandfather gave her. He was an advocate for the outdoors, she said.
Her grandfather’s devotion to Christianity and his wife of over 70 years will always be an inspiration for her, she said. She’ll remember him as a classy man who loved golf and bow ties.
Marty Leonard, Leonard Jr.’s cousin and a Tarrant County Regional Water District board member, said her cousin was the patriarch of the family for the last number of years. While they were cousins, she considered him an older brother.
“In later years we spent probably more time together, and enjoyed each other more — appreciated each other more,” she said.
Marty Leonard described her cousin as a devout Christian and someone who never let his family’s name get in the way of being his own man. She remembers that he always had a pocket full of pecans that he grew. Leonard Jr.’s father Obadiah Paul Leonard began growing pecans and Leonard Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps.
Leonard III said he wants people to remember his father as an outstanding citizen, a man who loved life and his family.
“He had a very full life and went peacefully,” he said.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 2 at Christ Chapel Bible Church, 3701 Birchman Ave. The family asks people to wear bright-colored clothes because Leonard Jr. said his funeral should be a celebration of him being with the Lord.
This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 4:06 PM.
