Johnathan Terry Leonard

Jonhathan Terry Leonard, 34, Friday, May 22, 2020 in Fort Worth. Funeral: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Wade Family Funeral Home, 4140 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens, Arlington. Visitation: 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 29, at the funeral home. Johnathan Terry Leonard was born January 22, 1986 in Waco, Texas to his parents Pamela (Green) Leonard and Terry Glenn Leonard (Sr.). Although born in Waco, his parents relocated to Ft. Worth, Texas when he was still an infant and later to Benbrook, Texas where He attended Benbrook Elementary School excelling in math and winning awards for academic excellence. After attending Monnig Middle School for a year he transferred to Cathedral Christian Academy in Arlington, Texas, a private school founded by the church that the family attended, and the family shortly thereafter moved to Arlington to be closer to both school and church. As he did in everything he put his mind to he excelled in academics, sports, and was always the popular class favorite of both his peers and teachers at Cathedral Christian Academy where he graduated in 2004. Aside from his lifelong personal accomplishments Johnathan was a beloved father to his children, pride and joy of his parents, an amazing friend to his younger brothers, uncle "John" to his nephews and niece, and he was the smile and personality that always lit up the room to his numerous cousins and friends, work associates, university classmates, and to his students. Johnathan made his profession of faith in Jesus Christ as his personal savior at an early age and was baptized at Samaria Baptist Church in 1992. Over the years he produced spiritual fruit which confirmed his being a believer in and follower of Christ. Never perfect of course, except of course in his parents eyes and God's eyes, but he continued to increase in faith while producing spiritual fruit for the entire duration of his life. Whether it was striving for regular church attendance, volunteering his time, giving generously, reading his bible, or even teaching children's bible class, his life exemplified his realization that God was both the giver of and the keeper of his soul. Perhaps this is why although he may have never preached a formal sermon, his life was an amazing sermon in itself to all who knew him, of God's amazing grace and love. He loved everything that had anything to do with sports from competing at a high level in basketball at his high school alma mater, Cathedral Christian Academy, and later even having offers to try out for college baskeball teams, to playing men's league softball which he competed in regularly throughout his twenties. If his love of sports ever diminished after his own amateur career had ended it was because of the birth of his children Zachary and Olivia whom he adored and cherished. But he found a way to be both a doting father and sports affeciando because when the children were old enough to compete in sports he became well loved as a regular youth league coach teaching the fundamentals of basketball to teams on which Zachary, affectionaly known by his Dad as Zach, belonged as well as the basketball teams of Olivia, known lovingly by her Daddy as "Liv." And whenever Zach and Olivia played on teams that were not coached by Johnathan he could be found playing the role of a handsome cheerleader when the team needed motivation and at other times "sweetly" yelling in the ear of the referee when bad calls were made during Zach and Olivia's baseball, soccer, and volleyball games. Johnathan's original college major was architecture. He dreamed of designing grand hotels and even casinos, although it was his love of exotic automobiles that led him to spend over a decade as an automobile service advisor. But his many life experiences would ultimately reveal to him his true calling as a school teacher and although his sudden transition from this life to the next prevented him from completing his degree in education at Tarleton State University, those he leaves behind have no doubt that he was embarking on what would have been an exemplary teaching career. And as proof of this theory we can all take heart in the fact that prior to his transition from this life he was regularly honing his teaching skills working as an emergency or guest teacher at local schools. Johnathan's life exemplified the ideas that the greatest teachers always lead by example and the greatest preachers preach by serving others. Always the consumate selfless giver even in death Johnathan as an organ donor has already affected the lives of at least three different recipients. Johnathan was preceded in death by his grandfather, Larry Deadrick; grandmother, Jearline Spillman Green; 3 uncles; and an aunt. Survivors: Son, Zachary T. Leonard, Arlington TX; daughter, Olivia Grace Leonard, Arlington TX; and their mother, Sarah Leonard, Arlington TX; parents: mother, Pamela Green Leonard, Belton, TX, and father, Terry Leonard and stepmother, Patience Leonard, Lewisville; brothers, Terry Glenn Leonard , II (Evamaria Leonard) - Crowley TX, Ashton Glenn Leonard - Ft Worth TX, Christian Darshay Leonard - Ft Worth TX, Torren Clark Leonard - Lewisville TX; grandmother, Ophelia (Leonard) Harris of Port Lavaca, TX; and a host of other family members and friends.