Frederick "Joe" Leonard

Frederick “Joe” Leonard, aka “Skynyrd,” took his last ride on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, in St. Peters, Missouri. Per his wishes, his family decided to give him peace on Wednesday, 7 January 2026.

Joe was born on 28 August 1959, in Macon, Georgia. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, his daughter, April Mullen (Josh) and sons Derek (mother Ciss Stahlhuth), and Caleb Leonard (mother Mary Leonard), sister Helen Alexander (John), brother Jonathan Roberts, sister Barbara Long, and sister Jody Luntsford (Jim), stepfather to Jack and Piper McCarty, brother-in-law to Leslie Stanfill. He was “Papa Joe” to Lindsey, Sunny and Rosie Leonard, Cole and Harper Mullen, and “Uncle Joe” to numerous nieces and nephews who will miss him tremendously. Joe was preceded in death by his father, John Franklin Roberts, mother Helen Joanne Roberts (Filbey), daughter Sabrina Nicolle Leonard, and brother Shawn Louis Roberts.

Joe worked hard from an early age, with his first job being at a dog breeder in Summerfield, Illinois, where he cleaned pens, fed and watered the dogs. In Bowling Green, Missouri, he led a hay crew, making his sister Helen work in the hay crew when he was short-staffed, of which she has undoubtedly many fond memories; he then moved on to working at a gas station until he graduated Bowling Green High School and left for the Marine Corps.

Joe proudly served 8 years in the United States Marine Corps, going through basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, where he bravely endured soupy humidity and biting sand fleas. He then transferred to California where he split time between the Camp Pendleton and Twenty-Nine Palms bases. Upon his discharge, Joe returned to Missouri with his young family.

Once Joe acquired his Communications Electronics School certification in the Marine Corps, he brought those skills back to the St. Louis market in a way that only Joe could – under promise and over deliver. He brought the Best Buy Service Center into the St. Louis market, then moved on to MCI, Compaq, Nortel Networks, Shasta, Global Velocity, finally wrapping up his IT career with an exceptional team at Citrix.

Anyone who knew Joe knew that he was a renaissance man – never happy with being settled, always reaching for something to push himself. And so, Joe had many side projects, including Cabrillo Coffee, Tuscany Trace Real Estate Development, Blue Streak Boatwerks, Group W Arms (a nod to the Arlo Guthrie song), and last but certainly not least, Bee Valley Farms (famous words to his wife, Nancy – “Somebody has to grow it. Why not us?”). At the time of his passing, Joe was researching getting his private pilot’s license, and joining the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), which preserves and promotes the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting. Again, anyone who knew Joe knew that if he put his mind to it, he would do it and do it well. It was truly something to behold.

In addition to his side projects, Joe was an avid sailor, particularly of A-class catamarans, and was heavily involved in the Carlyle Sailing Association. Known for his propensity for coming in third in local, regional, and national competitions, there was never a race Joe wouldn’t travel to or turn down. His weekends, pre-Bee Valley Farms, were usually spent at Carlyle, with the mast of #44 being hoisted to strike fear and laughs into all who were up against him (unless it turned into a dreaded bob & bake). All sailors knew the Blue Streak Boatwerks trailer as the place to get hooked up with spare parts, and Joe was usually willing to cut anyone a pretty sweet deal, if not just give them away for free.

It goes without saying, Joe loved his motorcycles, and riding. He was an avid rider, riding since the age of fourteen. There is not a time in his life where he didn’t have a bike in his life – photos from his Marine Corps days are a testament to that. He had hopes of rebuilding at least two of the older bikes in his “retirement.” Skynyrd, Thelma, Louise, Betsy, and Betty were just a few of them that were lucky enough to be owned by Joe, with Betty being the bike that took he and Nancy on their recent 1-month trip in August 2025 that Joe planned perfectly – all back roads, national parks, beauty and wonder. Under promise and over deliver.

There is no one way to describe Joe. Some would say full of grace and giving, others would say formidable (the guy *was* 6’2”, with a booming voice); based on photos from his younger days, one might say goofy and completely unserious. But if there was one word to describe Joe, it would be reliable. Everyone knew they could count on Joe to come through for them to be there in their time of need – with a word, an action, just to take them out to lunch and talk with them – Joe was always there. He was the guy with the truck, the trailer, the pair of gloves, and $20 (or more) when you needed it the most.

Of all his achievements, Joe was proudest of his four children, April, Derek, Sabrina, and Caleb. He was brainstorming ideas of how to spend more time with his grandchildren, and this past summer had arranged a go-kart day at Boschertown, followed by hot dogs and popsicles at the house. He looked forward to spending more time with all of them, in any fashion, and learning more about their different and dynamic personalities.

Finally, Joe was continually on a path of learning. Always a man of faith, he kept questioning, wanting to keep his mind open to any and all possibilities and viewpoints. He lived by a mantra given him long ago, “Chew up the meat and spit out the bones,” and he would encourage everyone to do the same – just seek the truth. He loved having genuine dialogue and discussions with anyone about pretty much anything; he was a voracious reader and was willing to suspend previous beliefs to incorporate new views into his worldview. His last Christmas gift to all his children was money for books, travel, anything to expand their minds.

The family requests donations be directed to:

-The Biker Fund/Hartbauer-McBride Memorial Foundation (bikershelpingbikers.com)

-Missouri Hemp Trade Association (mohemptrade.org)

Here's to those sunrises and sunsets over Spearfish Canyon and Joshua Tree, with Led Zeppelin and Roy Harper on autoplay, Joe. We know you’re watching over us all.