Cranford Native Dies At 63

CRANFORD, NJ - Obituary provided by the Leonard family.

Steven K. Leonard, born and raised in Cranford, passed away on March 4, 2019 with his wife Kelly and family members present at his side in Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Steven suffered a stroke from which he could not recover. He was 63 years of age.

Steven was a certified Psychiatric-Mental Health RN and spent many years working in acute care and home health psychiatric settings in New York, Nantucket, Maine and South Florida. Early on, his area of interest was in the study of mind/body interaction preferring holistic treatment of pain, anxiety and trauma.

Since writing his Ph.D. thesis in 1993 correlating the human physiological stress response to anxiety and pain, he continued to expand his education and knowledge of these issues through biofeedback, therapeutic massage and currently-proposed treatments for PTSD.

He co-authored several educational books on CBD-Rich Hemp Oil and Cannabis Medicine, the last of which was dedicated to all U.S. Veterans with the hope that information contained in the book will encourage more cannabis studies by the VA. Proceeds were donated to The Hope for Veterans Program based in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Steven had a great sense of humor and loved the outdoors and being out on the water whether it be in a canoe, kayak, row boat or sailboat, or when in the Merchant Marines. He loved music and played the drums, entertaining others with an impressive rendition of Wipe-Out. He was also an active member of American Mensa and Intertel Societies, and loved to exchange ideas with everyone he encountered. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Steven is pre-deceased by his parents, Donald and Elizabeth Leonard, and is survived by his brother and sister-in-law Don and Valery Leonard of Stuart, FL, his sisters Grace Christine Leonard of Wellington, FL, and Betty Leonard of Boynton Beach, FL, his wife Kelly Walker of Stuart, FL, his niece Sharon Rogers and husband Christopher of Stuart, FL, and niece Michelle Ralph and husband Timothy of Jupiter, FL.
A Funeral Mass in Steven’s memory will be held at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, 2100 SE Cove Road, Stuart, Fla. 34997 on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at noon for those wishing to attend.

The immediate family will hold a private celebration of Steven's life following the mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Hope for Veterans Program in Parsippany, New Jersey.

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