Robert "Bob" Leslie

It is with great sadness that we are announcing the passing of our very beloved dad, Robert "Bob" Leslie. Surrounded by family on 7/10/2021, he left us for "that Big Lab in the Sky," as he always called it. He was 97. Bob was born in Chicago in 1924; Al and Catherine's only child. He was a veteran of the Army Air Corp (later renamed the Air Force), where he was a 2nd Lieutenant, piloting C47 planes, which took him all around the globe during WWII. Bob spent many years in Texas before moving to Albuquerque in 1955 to work at Sandia Corporation (later known as Sandia National Laboratories), where his career spanned 44½ years. In 1968, he met Margaret, the love of his life. For 51 years, they traveled together, cooked together, and watched over each other. Favorite vacation spots included Branson (Missouri) and Ruidoso (New Mexico). Bob and Margaret lived independently at Albuquerque's Bear Canyon Estates, where they met new friends and enjoyed meals in the large dining room. After Margaret's passing in January 2019, Bob continued to take his daily walks and engage in conversation with other Bear Canyon residents. He loved and cherished his family and always made it a point to ask daughters Pam and Jan about their own kids and grandkids.

Throughout his years, Bob enjoyed taking 8mm home movies and editing them with captions, dates, and animation. He took up bowling, camping, boating, duck and dove hunting, poker, Rumikub, and chess. He savored a hot dog at Dairy Queen, a Frosty at Wendy's, a cheeseburger at Monroe's, a taco at Papa Felipe's, and cheese enchiladas at El Patron. When he dressed up, he included his favorite black hat and cowboy boots that he kept polished to perfection. He taught his daughters calculus, physics, how to change the oil, gap spark plugs, and load shotgun shells. He knew the night sky and told us what we were seeing, way back when skies were dark and the Milky Way was bright. He and Margaret were mall walkers for decades, and Bob continued mall walking until two years ago. Bob wrote his autobiography and updated it frequently. His story includes photos from his early childhood; his service years in the Army Air Corps; when he was married to Pam and Jan's mother; and later on, when he and Margaret went on travels. What a wonderful gift he gave us. We will cherish it always. Bob put dates on everything he received... a greeting card, a photograph, newspaper clippings, and bills. He always had a second helping of cake and ice cream at family birthday parties. A family favorite was that Bob wrote a math problem inside every birthday card he gave. It always came with a Hershey chocolate bar wrapped inside a $5 bill. His daughters, grandkids, and great-grandkids got a kick out of those math problems.

Bob leaves behind his two daughters, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a son-in-law, all in Albuquerque; and his step-son and step-grandson in Denver.

The family wants to thank everyone for their kind messages of hope for us, and great memories of Bob. Special thanks go to the staff at Bear Canyon Estates and Footprints: his special friend Linda, Chef JP, and helpers Christine and Brian. Bob was the kindest and most selfless man we've ever known. His smile, gentle nature, and genuine love for family will be forever missed, but his memory and loving spirit will live on through those people whose lives he touched.

At Bob's request, no services will be held.