Obituary
Louis J. Leftwich, Jr. joined his Lord and Savior on January 1, 2020, at age 90. He was born on September 1, 1929 in Richmond, Virginia, and lived most of his life in Orlando and Winter Park, Florida.
Lou was a charming man of quiet integrity, married for 65 years to the love of his life, Ruby Arvella Leftwich. He was a devoted husband and father, and his time spent with Arvella and their three sons and grandchildren was the center of his life. He also loved all things mechanical, but especially aviation; he was both a pilot and a skilled restorer of vintage planes. His special project was the Globe Swift GC1A Serial #2, which he meticulously restored to exact specifications and is currently on display at the Swift Museum in Athens, Tennessee.
Lou served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, and then worked briefly for the City of Miami Fire Department before enjoying a long career first with IBM, and then Simplex Corporation, for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Arvella, sons Hal (Paula), of Oneida, TN, Rick (Lesley) of Davidson, NC, and Bob (Ginger) of Winter Springs, FL, as well as grandchildren Ginna, Charlotte, Laura (Jody), and Rosey.
Lou was a man of faith, a member of the First United Methodist Church of Winter Park and previously of the First United Methodist Church of Orlando. He was respected by all who knew him for his dignity, good humor, and capable demeanor, and will be missed dearly, forever in our hearts. A service will be held on January 18th at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Park at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Swift Museum Foundation Inc. in Athens, TN.
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