Obituary of Robert N. Leech

Robert Noel Leech, age 85 of Clifton Park passed away peacefully on Thursday December 28, 2023. He was born in Mt. Vernon, NY the son of the late William and Marie Leech and brother to William J Leech. He was a loving husband to his wife of 54 years, Doris, who passed away in 2018. Robert served in the United States Army in the 101st Signal Battalion. Robert was a career Management Consultant retiring in 1989. He was a published author on Management Consulting. Bob spent a life looking out for the underdog. He grew up in a hardworking family which often struggled to make ends meet. He and his brother Bill knew what it was to need. As a successful adult Bob was always sensitive to the needs of others and never missed an opportunity to give especially when doing so could remedy an injustice: paying for underprivileged kids to go to camp; using his business skills in Latin America to help disenfranchised communities start their own businesses and even stepping into a potentially volatile situation to stop a man from hitting his dog. Children and animals were a soft spot and often a focus for Bob's acts of kindness. Bob gave quietly and he gave when it was not easy to give. He loved his wife Doris and had an unusual dedication to her. When she ended up in nursing care he drove to visit her every day. When he could no longer drive, he took the bus. He showed up like clockwork in his suit jacket and bearing flowers at least once a week. A video of Bob, taken without his knowledge, shows him making repeated trips to the heater to warm his hands then returning to Doris to put his warm hands on her cold cheeks. This video is reflective of who Bob was and the love he had for Doris. Bob was a loving father, adopting his son Seth as an infant. The adoption was the start of a beautiful lifelong journey of raising a son. In the hardest economic times, there is always some belt tightening- but there was one line of the budget Bob would never cut: books and anything that related to education. His son's future was always more important to him than his own present. When asked what his biggest piece of relationship advice was, he responded that first and foremost couples should laugh, never take things too seriously and find the humor in things. Christmas Day, a few days before he passed, he could still poke fun at himself, at others, and find the humor in things. He passed with his sense of humor intact. At the tender age of 80, Bob became an ordained member of the clergy in order to marry his son and his fiancé Nicole. While the process of becoming ordained is just a few clicks away online, he took it seriously studying, memorizing the rules and responsibilities, learning and planning the marriage ceremony. In one of his last major acts before going into a nursing facility himself, Bob married his son Seth and Nicole at the Saratoga National Cemetery, a venue he selected as a way of honoring his wife, Doris, who was interred there and celebrating the new life of the marriage. He now has found his own final earthly resting place at the Saratoga National Cemetery. Survivors include; his son Seth R. (Nicole E. Coudari) Leech, his 2 grandchildren Isabela and Ryan Leech, great grandson Dean Thomas Noel Holz and 2 nephews Steven and William Leech. Calling hours will be held on Thursday January 4, 2024 from 9 to 11am with the service at 11am at the Catricala Funeral Home, 1597 Route 9 Clifton Park, NY 12065. Burial will follow at the B.H. Saratoga National Cemetery. In Lieu of Flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to; St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or StJude.org