Leo B. Jansen, 95, passed away on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 holding the hand of his beloved and devoted wife Liselotte “Lee” at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canaan, Conn.
Leo was born in Bonn, Germany on November 28, 1920. He and his wife and young daughter immigrated to West Hartford, Conn., in 1956. In 2005 he and Lee relocated to Great Barrington, Mass.
Leo owned and operated a family-run transport business in Germany. After arriving in Connecticut he was employed by G. Fox & Co. in Hartford, Conn., for 25 years. In retirement he worked part time for Fleet Bank as a courier until the age of 80.
In Germany, Leo was an All Star soccer player. In the USA he founded the first German-American Soccer Club of Hartford, Conn. He was a member of the Connecticut Referee Association. In 1975 he became the president of the Hartford Saengerbund, a German-American singing club.
Leo and his wife Liselotte “Lee” Marx were married on September 17, 1946. They were devoted to each other for 69 years.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters, Claudia H. Ziobro and her husband Mark of Sheffield, Mass., Patricia Kowalski of Lake Worth, Fla., and four grandchildren, Cory Ziobro of Stockbridge, Mass., Chelsea Ziobro of Queens, N.Y., Nicole Pascual and her husband Pablo and Kevin Kowalski of Lake Worth, Fla., and two great grandchildren Lucius and Bella. He is also survived by his niece and goddaughter Ursula Garbotz in Aachen, Germany.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Elder Services of Pittsfield, Mass., or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation in care of FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME, 426 Main St., Gt. Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to his family go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.
