Dr. Joseph Leonard

Joseph Whittaker Leonard, M.D. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, October 16, 1931, and passed away suddenly in Augusta, Georgia, November 5, 2023. He was preceded in death by his father, Noble Day Leonard, M.D. and his mother, Rhea Wasson Leonard.

After graduating from McComb High School in McComb, Ohio in 1950 he earned his B.S. degree from The Ohio State University in 1953, and his medical degree from The Ohio State University in 1957. Dr. Leonard completed his internship at the Stanford University service of the San Francisco City and County Hospital in 1958. One year of medical residency was completed at the Stanford service of the French Hospital, San Francisco, in 1959. Next was service in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps as Lieutenant at the Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California from 1959 to 1961.

More residency and fellowship training was completed at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio from 1961 to 1964; after which he started his private medical practice of Internal Medicine at the Eden Hospital, Castro Valley, California in the Bay area of San Francisco which lasted until 1989. He was a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, The California Medical Association, The American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians. 

Dr. Leonard was a lifelong student of history: medical, historical and financial issues, reading the daily Wall Street papers and Journals. He loved going to the weekly Grand Rounds at the Medical College for many years, the Augusta Symphony Concerts, the Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society, the Civil War Round Table, the weekly Ihnen-Sutherland Forum on Thursdays, and the yearly New York Theater Christmas trips.

For the last 30 years Dr. Leonard lived in Augusta, Georgia with his companion and high school classmate, Bonnie W. Given. He loved Augusta, and felt lucky to have been able to live his retirement years here. He attended Covenant Presbyterian Church. He will be buried in Ohio. All services will be private. You may send online condolences at www.plattsfuneralhome.com.