Obituary of Leo James Quinn

QUINN, Leo James, of Ridgewood NJ, passed away on Monday October 7, 2019. Born on June 14, 1935 in Johnstown PA, he was the son of Leo Joseph and Mary Devlin Quinn. He is predeceased by his parents and 5 older siblings, Kathryn Mae, Edward (Bud), G. Neil, John Terrance (Jack) and Mary Jane.  Following his graduation from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, MD, Mr. Quinn joined the U.S. Army and was deployed to Okinawa for two years where his assignments included service on a Nike Hercules Missile site.

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, he  is survived by his wife, Kathryn M. Quinn, and 4 children: Peter (Catherine), Sean (Phoebe), Elizabeth Ohaegbulam (Chima) and Matthew (Noel), and 15 grandchildren: Eleanor, Mary Catherine, Anne, Jane, John Joseph, Catherine, baby Quinn due 1/20, SarahAnn, William, Patrick, John and James, Clare, David and Josephine, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Quinn was employed by Montgomery Ward in Baltimore and New York from 1960 until 1983 and Bear Stearns until his retirement in 2004. He was a soft spoken man whose simple values – devotion to God, country, and family – were instilled by his upbringing during the Great Depression and war years in Johnstown, PA.  Mr. Quinn never hesitated to help someone in need: he changed tires for strangers, helped renovate others’ homes, and served as a trusted resource for career advice.  He spent his retirement years in the company of his family, visiting his children and grandchildren in the Boston and Washington DC areas and exploring China and Ireland.  He was a longtime parishioner of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish and volunteered with its school and later as a Eucharistic Minister.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 10, 2019 from 6-9 p.m. at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Ridgewood. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.  The family is grateful to the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home and Valley Hospice in Paramus for their exceptional care of Mr. Quinn during his illness.