| Name |
Leaper, John Warren "Jack" |
| Prefix |
Colonel |
| Nickname |
Jack |
| Birth |
5 May 1922 |
Minnetonka, Hennepin, Minnesota, USA  |
| Gender |
Male |
 Military Service |
Between 1942 and 1945 |
| WWII - US Navy |
- in 1942 joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. Graduating from Pensacola as a 2nd Lt. USMCR he fulfilled a dream, and saw service in Ie Shima, Okinawa. Jack returned stateside in 1945 from his first tour as a decorated war hero with a Navy Cross and Purple Heart.
|
 |
Leaper, John (Jack)
Military |
| Death |
26 Apr 2012 |
Thousand Oaks, Ventura, California, USA |
| Commentary |
Aft 26 Apr 2012 |
- Jack Leaper was my former wife's father. He earned a BS in Engineering from St. Thomas College. He was a fighter pilot in the Pacific in WWII. Following the war, he moved to Los Angeles where he was a test pilot for Bill Lear. He also was a U2 pilot for a while. He ultimately retired from the Marines with the rank of Full Colnel. Following military service he worked as an engineer at Lear-Seigler in Santa Monica, CA.
Jack and his wife Dorothy (Goldborg) had 9 children (my former wife, Paula was the eldest).
|
| Military Service |
- Name John Warren Leaper
Relative Name Mr. and Mrs. Clarence G Leaper
Relative Relationship Parents
State Minnesota
Country United States
Type of Casualty Wounded In Action
Roll ww2c_27
|
| Obituary |
10 May 2012 |
| LosAngeles Daily News |
- Age 89 passed away on Thursday, April 26, 2012, in Thousand Oaks, CA.
John was born on May 5, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Clarence G. Leaper and Genevieve Jackson. John was a twin to sister, Patty Alexander and surviving brother Robert Leaper. Jack attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul, MN., and in 1942 joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program. Graduating from Pensacola as a 2nd Lt. USMCR he fulfilled a dream, and saw service in Ie Shima, Okinawa. Jack returned stateside in 1945 from his first tour as a decorated war hero with a Navy Cross and Purple Heart. This same year he married his high school sweetheart and soulmate Dorothy Ann Goldborg. Jack completed his education at the University of Minnesota as an Aero Engineer and in 1952 was hired by Bill Lear as an experimental test pilot and electronic engineer. Colonel Leaper had an extraordinary passion for flying all models of aircraft and retired from the United States Marine Corp in 1982 after 30 years of service, logging over 10,000 hours in the cockpit. During that time Jack was an active member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Jack retired in 1984 as Director of Quality Assurance after 32 years with Lear Siegler, Inc.
Throughout his life Jack was an avid outdoorsman and champion swimmer. In 1959, he settled in Woodland Hills, CA. Jack's favorite hobby was spending time with his large family and beloved wife, Dorothy who passed away in 2007. His love of storytelling and sense of humor was unsurpassed. Jack touched many lives in countless ways and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Jack is survived by his eight children, 12 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren (one predeceased son).
A Military Service will be held May 12, 2012, 12:30 p.m., at Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, CA. The family has requested any donations in Jack's memory be made to: The , 3333 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Assisting the family with funeral arrangements is the family owned and operated (805) 581-3800
Published in Los Angeles Daily News on May 10, 2012
|
| Burial |
Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, California, USA |
| Person ID |
I87702 |
1FamilyTree | HaleyKleckner37946, TomTurriff28815 |
| Last Modified |
6 Dec 2016 |
| Father |
Leaper, Clarence Gillingham, b. 6 Mar 1894, Hermansville, Menominee, Michigan, USA d. 1 Feb 1956, , Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA (Age 61 years) |
| Mother |
Jackson, Genevieve, b. 13 Dec 1893, Aberdeen, Brown, South Dakota, USA d. 2 Mar 1982, Hopkins, Hennepin, Minnesota, USA (Age 88 years) |
| Family ID |
F28258 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Family  |
Goldborg, Dorothy, b. 13 Nov 1925, , , Minnesota, USA d. 15 Jul 2007, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (Age 81 years) |
| Marriage |
Bef 1949 |
| Children |
| + | 1. Leaper, Paula Jean |
| | 2. Leaper, Jerome John |
| | 3. Leaper, Anita Louise |
| | 4. Leaper, Timothy |
| | 5. Leaper, Angela |
| | 6. Leaper, Dennis, b. 15 Dec 1961, , Los Angeles County, California, USA d. 29 Apr 2004 (Age 42 years) |
| | 7. Leaper, Alisa |
|
| Family ID |
F51425 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
27 Jun 2014 |
1922 - 2012 (89 years)
