Marion County, Fla. – Dr. Ramón L. León, 92, passed away Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 at The Legacy Hospice of Marion County, Florida.
Dr. León was born in Maunabo, Puerto Rico on July 17, 1925 to the late Juan Bautista León and María Josepha Carrasquillo.
He is survived by Evelyn Leon, his wife of 60 years; daughters Vanessa Leon Roth (Mark) of Indianapolis, Ind., Roxanne Lawler (Michael) of Montecito, Calif., and Celeste Leon (Bradley Friedman) of Truckee, Calif.; three granddaughters and one grandson; and many cousins, nephews, and nieces in Puerto Rico and Florida.
Dr. León earned his first dental degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1953 and a subsequent degree of dental surgery from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis in 1955 in order to practice dentistry in the US. He served as captain in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1957. He first worked at a public clinic in Fajardo, Puerto Rico after which he established a dental practice in Northborough.
Dr. León was a cherished local dentist for 32 years in Northborough as generations of families became his patients. His legacy of winning the Puerto Rican lottery in 1944 and spending his winnings to help his community and pursue his dream of dentistry inspired the novel, Luck is Just the Beginning, which earned a Mariposa Award for Best First Book in the 2016 International Latino Book Awards and is the debut novel of Ramón’s daughter, Celeste Leon.
Ramón León, beloved husband, father and grandfather, will live forever in the hearts of his family and all the people who were touched by his generosity.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. On Sept. 1, 2017, the rank of angles increased by one.
