Leon "Leo" John Sawicki

life story

Beloved husband, father, and grandfather Leo Sawicki

Leon “Leo” John Sawicki passed away peacefully on March 31, 2023. Leo was born on April 10, 1936, in Saint Paul, Minnesota to the late Leo and Sophie (Sterbonic) Sawicki. Leo moved several times over the years and his family felt blessed that he passed away in his beloved St. Paul where he and his surviving wife Barbara Ann (Kingsberg) lived together in the Memory Care Neighborhood at Lyngblomsten.

Leo grew up in West Saint Paul with his parents and two younger sisters, he was known as “Boots” to his friends and family. He loved his mother’s wonderful Ukrainian cooking and had many cherished memories of fishing with his father on the Vermilion River. Leo’s family had many gifted string musicians which inspired him to play the guitar, mandolin, and banjo at a young age. He spent thousands of hours playing with his father, uncles, and friends. Rarely a day passed without Leo singing and playing songs. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1954 where he was an athlete and of course, a musician.

Following high school Leo attended the University of Minnesota and joined the Air National Guard. There he met friends from Minneapolis that would change his life forever. These new and soon-to-be lifelong friends introduced Leo to the love of his life, Barbara Kingsberg. As the story goes, the outgoing Leo was playing his guitar and singing to the crowd, while the quiet “wallflower” Barbara was hiding behind a plant trying not to be noticed. Well, Leo did notice the girl from Minneapolis, and she married the boy from Saint Paul on July 25th,1959 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. They remained the closest of companions until Leo’s death.

Leo had a long career with Deluxe Check Printers which began in St. Paul as a press operator in the late 1950s. He moved with his new bride to Detroit, Michigan in 1959 where he advanced up the chain of command while raising three children and graduating from the University of Michigan. In 1983 Leo and Barbara moved back to the Twin Cities to be closer to family and Leo retired from Deluxe in the early 1990s. Deluxe provided many cherished friends to Leo and was the backbone of who he became as a business professional.

In retirement, Leo kept busy by volunteering to play his guitar & banjo at nursing homes, or whenever someone asked him to play. He went on many fishing trips, led men’s prayer groups, delivered food for Meals on Wheels, and in keeping with Leo’s need to always be busy he found a “retirement job” as a part-time Sensory Advisor for Land O’Lakes.

Leo cherished watching the lives of his three children and their families grow through fun times and the sorrowful. Leo was preceded in death by his son John Leon Sawicki (21) and his grandson Matthew John Vance (31). Leo is survived by his two daughters and their husbands: LeeAnne and Mike Vance of Contoocook, New Hampshire; Beth Ann and Gregg Anderson of Seattle, Washington. Leo has three surviving grandchildren: Nathan Vance of Troy, Ohio; Emma Vance and her husband Connor Monette of Yokosuka, Japan; and Henrik Anderson of Seattle, Washington. He is also survived by great-grandchildren: Jack Vore, Nora Vance, and Emerson Vance who all live in Ohio, and his two younger sisters and their spouses: Colleen and Bob Rogers of Mulvane, Kansas; and Carolyn and Jake Jacobs of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Leo was a deeply spiritual man as a longtime member of both Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church in Livonia, Michigan, and House of Hope Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul. Leo was an eager volunteer, and you could often find him working on committees or greeting the congregation. Leo will be cremated and interment at the Memorial Garden in the Garth at House of Hope Church next to his son. A service will be planned for Leo at a future date.

If you would like to do something to honor Leo, please take a kid fishing at your favorite fishing hole, sing loudly next time you are in church, or laugh with your family and friends reminiscing about Leo and his joyous character! He got so much joy out of these activities, and nothing would make him happier than having other people experience that same joy.

memorial service

Service to follow in the Summer months

The House of Hope Presbyterian Church 797 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN 55105, USA

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services