Obituary of Rudy Leopold

Rudy Leopold, 87, of Gulfport, Fl., passed away at Bayfront Medical Ctr. on Saturday, 09/18/2021 surrounded by his children.  Born in 1934, he is survived by son Rudy (Janice) Leopold of Robbinsville, NC., son William (Nancy) Leopold of Girard Pa., daughter Cheryll Leopold of Clearwater, Fl., and daughter Wilma DeWitt of Pinellas Park, Fl. and 6 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Wilma Leopold and Mary J. Baker Leopold Williams.

Rudy was a man of many trades and mostly self-taught. What he did not know he would learn.  His children thought he could fix anything and he did. We said he had “hands of gold”! He was a carpenter, mechanic, plumber, handyman, had his own greenhouse and could build a house from the ground up and engineer just about anything to work the way he wanted it.  If he needed it, he invented it.        

He was raised in Ohio and farmed with his father until he went to work in the 60’s for the N.W. R. E. A. Co-op. in Cambridge  Springs, Pa. (C.S.), where he became a Journeyman Lineman. He was a resident of C. S.  area for over 20 years and also a member of the C.S. PA. Volunteer Fire Dept. for 17 years and the C.S. Rescue Squad Divers for some time. It also gave him great pleasure to be “Santa” every winter on the back of a fire truck! He worked for the State Police Dept. in Pa., and the local Police Borough for some time. In the 70’s he attended Ruppert School of Auctioneering to become an auctioneer.

He relocated to Gulfport, Fl. in 1976 at age 42, where he continued to practice as a Journeyman for A & E Electric, retiring in 1999. Other various interests were his time on the Gulfport Zoning Commission and  Coast Guard Auxiliary. He enjoyed sailing, gardening, hunting, auctioneering, estate sales, cabinet making. He was a skilled photographer & sign painter and bought and managed several rental properties for over 40 years. He was never too busy to help a neighbor or friend. Rudy was very successful having come from nothing. He saw value in everything and was a pioneer of repurposing! He worked several jobs off and on to provide for his family and made sure we always had what we needed. We always came first and love was dished out on a regular basis! He was very strong when he needed to be and oh so tender hearted with his family. He loved animals, his ice cream, the heat in Florida and hated snow!  There will not be better man that God put breath into, then him.  How fortunate his children are to have him and his life lessons as an example all these years! Private graveside services will be held at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Morriston, Florida.

The care of Mr. Leopold and his family has been entrusted to David C. Gross Funeral Home in St. Petersburg.