In Memory of
Richard C. Leone
April 30th, 1940 - July 16th, 2015
Obituary
Richard C. Leone, former president of the Century
Foundation and a past chairman of the Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey, died on Thursday, July 16. He
was 75 years old. He was being treated for Parkinson’s
disease and was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Born in Webster, New York in 1940, Dick Leone spent the
bulk of his career in public service. A graduate of the
University of Rochester, he earned a Masters degree and
a PhD at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public &
International Affairs.
A pragmatic progressive whose views were forged during
the Kennedy era, Leone worked on many local and national
campaigns. One of his proudest moments was working as an
advance man on Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign in
Oregon. He also worked on presidential campaigns for
George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and
Bill Bradley.
In the ‘60s, he was executive director of the White
House Task Force on The Cities. In addition, Leone
managed Brendan Byrne’s two successful campaigns for
Governor of New Jersey, in 1973 and 1977. From 1974 to
1977, Leone was state treasurer of New Jersey. In 2004,
he served as chairman of Governor Jon Corzine’s
transition committee.
Leone served as a commissioner of the Port Authority of
New York & New Jersey, and was chairman of the Port
Authority from 1990 to 1994. From 1989 to 2011, he was
president of the Century Foundation (formerly Twentieth
Century Fund), a public policy think tank. Leone steered
the foundation to concentrate on such issues as
inequality and civil liberties and he fought against
attempts at privatizing Social Security.
Leone’s private sector jobs included working as
President of the New York Mercantile Exchange and a
managing director at Dillon Read & Co. He has long been
a director/trustee of multiple funds at Dreyfus Corp.
and serves on the board of the Center for American
Progress.
Burial is private, but a memorial service will take
place in Princeton, New Jersey in September. He is
survived by his wife, Meg Cox Leone; his children Kate
Leone and Max Leone, and his granddaughter Lucy
Kirschner, as well as his sister Sandra Leone Thomas
Brooks and first wife, Anita Leone. As well as many
nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor his memory
can consider donations to New Jersey Policy Perspective
or the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Brought to you by: Franklin H. Rainear, Jr. Affordable
Funeral Service & Cremation
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/1138614/Leone-Richard.php
