Obit - Obituary, William Leithead
In Loving Memory
WILLIAM C. LEITHEAD
July 31, 1928 to November 28, 2022
A Memorial Service will be held for Willilam (Bill) Leithead at the Bixler Chapel at Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park on December 8 at 10 a.m.
William (Bill) Cody Leithead of Dowling Park, FL (formally Glenside, PA) passed away peacefully in his sleep at 4:40 am on Monday, November 28, 2022 at the age of 94 at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Dowling Park, Florida.
Born July 31, 1928 to John E. Leithead and Edith (Fairbane) Leithead and was husband to Phyllis Elaine (Regan) Leithead. Bill, an only child, was involved in the swim team at the local YMCA and attended church and youth group events at the neighborhood Methodist church in West Philadelphia. Bill was honorably discharged from United States Marine Corps on January 29th, 1948 after a few years of service. While attending a local Halloween Party as “Li’l Abner”, he met the love of his life, Phyllis Regan, dressed as “Daisy Mae” and thus began a beautiful love relationship that lasted almost 70 years; the two were married September 10th, 1949. Bill received his HVAC certificate from Temple University in May of 1954. As a result of his background in HVAC, he became a pipe support design specialist for United Engineers of Philadelphia, PA. When the children were grown, this position took he and his wife to various parts of the country and the world including Milan Italy; with his last project working on the Seabrook Nuclear power plant in Seabrook NH.
Bill was a loving father, son, uncle, friend and family man. He devoted many hours to working with under privileged youth in the surrounding towns while raising a family of 5 children in Glenside, PA. After his retirement from United Engineers in 1990 he and his wife traveled the US and found years of bliss and excitement in their move to Leesburg, FL in 1991. They became very involved with a local swim club and he won several medals, including gold & silver over the years he was involved in the Senior Games for the Butterfly stroke. While they were able, each summer they would journey north to Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire to visit their children, grandchildren, and friends and escape the Florida heat. In early 2000 they moved to the Advent Christian Village, in Dowling Park, Florida. A Christian retirement community that had everything they needed to grow old together. They built and enjoyed many friendships with this Christian family. Bill took it upon himself to help those in need while living in Florida. He found working through a local church was a great resource to spread the love of God in his local community.
Bill is predeceased by his wife, Phyllis (Regan) Leithead, June 1, 2017 and daughter Lisa J. (Leithead) Kearns, October 19, 2021. Bill is survived by son Larry Leithead and daughter in-law Anna (Tuffarello) Leithead, and by daughters: Linda (Leithead) Tabas and partner Jerry Stephen, Ellen (Leithead) Knapp and partner Tommy Deal and Phyllis (Leithead) Brooks and son in-law Wayne Brooks. Bill is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren from California, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you make a donation in Bill’s honor to your local under privileged youth organization or charity. A small family burial and memorial service will take place at a later date in Roslyn, PA where Bill will be put to rest beside his wife Phyllis at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church.
The family asks if you would please sign the guest book on legacy.com if you knew Bill.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Bixler Chapel at Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park on December 8 at 10 a.m.
