Susan Ann (Baysinger) Leonardi

Susan Ann Baysinger Leonardi, the daughter of Lew and Elsie Speed Baysinger, peacefully passed on February 21, 2025. Her children, grandchildren, and sisters had been by her bedside for weeks prior to her passing. Susan is remembered by many as a kind, loving, fun, compassionate person, with a memorable laugh that all remember.

Susan was born on a Sunday, February 18, 1940, at 11:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Hospital in San Francisco - the city her parents resided in at the time. She was baptized at St. Agnes Church with godparents, Rosalie Beatty and Clyde Baysinger.  Soon after, they moved to Berkeley and then to Vallejo. She was always surrounded by family - aunts, uncles, cousins and friends of her parents over the years. After her grandfather, Charles Speed, her mother’s father, passed unexpectedly, Susan and her parents moved in with her grandmother in Crockett. There she spent a great deal of time with her Speed relatives, especially her cousin Linda (Speed) Marion, with whom she was very close, as well as her cousins Melvin and Gerald. During this time all her Speed uncles worked for C & H Sugar, while her father was a postal inspector in Vallejo, a critical job due to the navy’s presence. In 1943, her Baysinger grandparents moved from Stockton to West Point, a lumber town where her grandfather was the office manager for Stockton Box Company. They lived in an area where all the mill families lived, a primitive environment until water, electricity and modern utility conveniences came in. This place called West Point was a place Susan adored and spent many weekends with her grandparents, Aunt Pat (Lew’s sister) and was a gathering place for the whole family.

After World War II, Susan’s father, a graduate of St. Mary’s College, was finally able to pursue new employment and began his 30 year career with American Forest Products Corp. in San Francisco. This required a move closer to the city, so they moved to Richmond, where Susan attended school in Albany.  During this time she contracted life-threatening polio and spent six months in Children’s Hospital in San Fracisco. Fortunately, the residuals within her lungs were minor and had no paralysis.  Shortly thereafter her father was assigned to manage the lumber mill in Truckee, and the family spent a memorable three years enjoying the lakes and mountains, and for Sue, learning to ski as PE at Tahoe Truckee High School.  Sadly, they had to leave as Lew was transferred back to San Francisco, and Susan finished high school at Marin Catholic High School in Greenbrae from which she graduated in 1957.  She maintained friendships with her classmates over the years, attended every reunion, and was part of a “girls’ lunch bunch” that met periodically.

Susan met her husband, Henry Leonardi on a summer’s day in 1957 on which a large fire started in downtown San Rafael. Sue was helping  a friend and her mother, evacuate their home on Third Street when her brother Henry, “Hank” showed up to help. They started dating, and they got engaged at the Thanksgiving dinner at her grandparent’s home in West Point, surrounded by the whole family.  They were married at St. Raphael’s Church in San Rafael in June of 1958, lived in San Rafael for a year while Hank finished College of Marin, then moved to Reno where he finished his electrical engineering degree at the University of Reno. Their first son, Vincent was born in Reno. After graduation they moved back to Marin County and bought a house in Loma Verde/Novato where they lived until Hank’s death in 2019. They had three more children, Elaine, Peter, and Steven all born at Marin General in Greenbrae.

Susan’s greatest joys in life were her children, their activities as they grew up - she was involved with them or showed up at the majority of events - scouting, basketball, lacrosse, little league, and more and was always one to step up and be a parent who volunteered. Her second joy was traveling with the kids and then many adventures with Hank on their own.  There were many memorable journeys including most of the renowned State and National Parks, a car trip up into Canada, visited most every museum and historical point along the way—both, Susan and Hank loved history. The family spent many Easter and Christmas holidays camping with Aunt Pat’s family, the Larson cousins - trips to the desert, exploring by jeeps and motorcycles. They made numerous trips to Hawaii, they journeyed  to John Wayne’s and Ronald Reagan’s birthplaces; as well as Washington DC and many trips to Disneyland. One particular car trip with all the kids across the country to Florida and Disney World in 1971 led to many trips back there over the years. A particular RV trip up to Kirkwood Ski Resort in 1974 involved teaching all the kids to ski and became a beloved activity to all in the family for decades after.

Susan loved being social; so she could be found with other neighborhood Moms chatting it up, playing softball with Our Lady of Loretto Moms, or visiting with neighbors while she watered the lawn. She loved visiting with all the friends of her kids who would pass through the house and they loved her. Later in life, she enjoyed a club called the Red Hats and training with Leoni.

After three of Susan and Hanks’s children finished college — Elaine at the USF/Academy of Art, Peter at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Steve at San Diego State, weddings followed and had children of their own, and they became the next focus of joy for Susan. As they grew and had their own activities, Susan and Hank could be found at their lacrosse & soccer games, ballet performances, racing events, and always enjoyed being “Santa” at Christmas to all the grandkids - a tradition they found so much joy in with their own children.

Susan is survived by her children—Vincent Leonardi of Las Vegas, Elaine Dixon of Tahoe City, Peter Leonardi of San Ramon, Steven Leonardi of Napa, her grandchildren—Isabella Leonardi, Marissa Leonardi, Garrett Dixon, Holly Dixon, Rachel Leonardi, Dante Leonardi and step grandchildren, Ally and Ben Jackson. As well as her sisters, Betty Fracisco of Mission Viejo, Jan Holton of Auburn, and Lori Moon of Pleasant Hill. A service for Susan will be held at St. Vincent’s in Church Marinwood/San Rafael on March 21, 2025 at 11 a.m.11

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