IN REMEMBRANCE
IN REMEMBRANCE : LEONARD LEIGHT , MD 5 / 28 / 1922-3 / 9 / 2021
Our esteemed colleague Dr . Leonard Leight died March 9 , 2021 at the advanced age of 98 . His life was full , productive and diverse . Leonard was born as the Spanish Flu pandemic was ebbing and exited the stage during the COVID-19 pandemic . Historians will dub this century the Golden Age of Cardiology . Leonard lived , taught , contributed and advanced cardiology during this notable period .
His was a lifelong intellect , always inquisitive , passionate and extensively consuming the ever-expanding volume of medical literature .
He grew up in the Bronx and acquired a lifelong love for the New York baseball Giants . He often spoke of watching games through the knot-holes in the outfield fence of the Polo Grounds ! He even cared about them when they abandoned his beloved NYC for San Francisco . He was graduated from high school at 16 then attended City College of New York . Following medical school at Washington University in St . Louis , he trained in New York and Detroit before arriving in 1954 as Chief of Cardiology at the University of Louisville .
He built the first primitive Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory in Kentucky in the basement of the Louisville General Hospital ( now University Hospital ) under the stairway in a tiny triangular space . He eventually left the university and entered private practice . Soon thereafter , he found himself on call for two years as Dr . Weiss fulfilled his military obligation . During that time , he was able to raise money and built an advanced Cardiac Cath Lab at Jewish Hospital .
He was kind to , generous with , and loved by our office staff and patients alike . In those days in the early ῾60s , patients would come to the office at 9:00 or 10:00 a . m ., sign in , walk to Stewart ’ s to shop and have lunch , then return a few hours later when their name was called . How times have changed ! Nobody could forget that purple couch in his office where each patient was sat down to complete the visit !
He was a caring , tireless cardiologist and “ a doctor ’ s doctor ,” always the best-read physician in the room . He displayed his humanity and was always respectful of all . He knew the names of most of Jewish Hospital ’ s staff workers and nurses , addressing each by Mr ., Ms . and Mrs . He was a force behind many “ cutting-edge ” advances at Jewish Hospital , as cardiology flourished . He was also always the voice of reason . He was generous with his time , never seeming in a hurry . He was a physician to emulate and was a mentor to me .
His life outside medicine was just as full and diverse . He and Adele married after a three-week courtship , producing three wonderful children : Jenna , Peter and Jonathan , eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren . He always looked forward to their lengthy summer visits to Louisville . Adele and Leonard loved the opera and ballroom dancing , often enjoying their chance to perform , in addition to endlessly taking French lessons . They built one of the most contemporary homes at that time in Louisville and forever enjoyed their long life there . However , it had no garage and , since he refused to wear an overcoat , he came to the hospital a bit chilled throughout each winter ! He took much pride in maintaining the property inside and out .
Oh , then there was , and is , the glass ! They had a keen eye for art , particularly glass , and ceramics early on , when glass collecting was in its infancy . They traveled worldwide , befriending many glass artists , visiting their studios and amassed a truly world class collection ( on display at The Speed ). It was a special experience to visit their home and have Leonard describe enthusiastically each piece in encyclopedic detail , always mentioning how beautiful he felt each piece was !
He will be truly missed and remembered , as his legacy , as they say , lives on in so many ways . -Gary Fuchs , MD , & Morris Weiss , MD
Dr . Leight was a GLMS member for 67 years .
28 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE