Southborough – Leonard S. Hartog of Southborough passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 5, 2023. Proud son of the late Harry and Charlotte Hartog. Beloved father of Douglas and Peter (Traci) Hartog. Devoted grandfather of Benjamin and Noah Hartog. Loving brother of the late Howard, Stephen, and Robert Hartog.
Born in the Bronx before the Stone Age, Leonard remained an avid, if misguided New York Yankees fan. Despite his terrible taste in baseball teams, he also loved the Celtics and Patriots. Leonard proudly served in the Army for three years before spending much of his professional career in the hospitality services. He played softball, enjoyed the occasional drop of Canadian Club, and maintained an intense interest in both stamp collecting and Japanese culture.
Those who knew him best would agree—Leonard lived life his way. He was a man of character. And he also appreciated character. He never missed a chance to dole out pearls of valuable life lessons to anyone who would, or cared to listen. He proudly gave to a variety of charities, including the New England Aquarium, the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Wounded Warrior Project. While you won’t find his name on Wikipedia, in the Guinness Book of World Records or in a Who’s Who of Interesting People, Leonard left his indelible mark upon every person he met.
But most importantly, Leonard adored his family. He especially loved chatting up his grandchildren, hearing about their misadventures, trying (and failing) to turn Benjamin into a Yankees fan, and listening to Noah play the piano. He will be dearly missed.
Graveside service at New Hand in Hand Cemetery, 2659 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA on Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11 am.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/.
The Brezniak Funeral Directors of West Newton assisted with arrangements.
