John A. Leonhard: Licensed Supervisor and President

John was born and raised in Lancaster, PA. John's father, the late Eugene Leonhard immigrated to America from Germany in 1928 and met and married the late Frances Cramer Leonhard. John's mother Frances was a lifetime resident of Lancaster County.

John grew up on N. Plum Street in Lancaster and helped in his parents' home-based bakery business with his brother, Albert and sister, Fran. He graduated from J. P. McCaskey High School in 1962 and then worked for several years with his father at Holsum Bakery until the Spring of 1966 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. John served aboard the U.S.S. Hunley and was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina. He was honorably discharged in May of 1970.

Upon returning to Lancaster County, he worked at Lancaster County Marine in Akron. It was during this time that he met Karen A. Gravenor, and they were married on November 22, 1972. In March of 1974, John joined the staff of Paul L. Gravenor Home For Funerals.

While John worked, he attended Millersville University in PA and Catonsville Community College Mortuary Science Program in Maryland. He attained his Pennsylvania Funeral Director's Licensure in October of 1980 and is currently the President and Licensed Supervisor of the Paul L. Gravenor Home For Funerals.

John and Karen have two children, Paul Andrew Leonhard and Polly Suzanne, wife of Carl Longenberger; and two grandchildren, Hayden Kenneth Leonhard and Piper Suzanne Leonhard. They are also members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Ephrata.

John is a member and past-president of the Lancaster County Funeral Directors Association, member of the Pennsylvania and National Funeral Directors Associations, member and past-president of the Ephrata Lions Club, member of Post 429 American Legion in Ephrata and is a 32° Mason and member of the Ephrata Blue Lodge #665, Lancaster County Shrine Club, Reading Consistory and Rajah Temple Shrine.