Richard "Dick" Joseph Leinecker

“Dick” Richard Joseph Leinecker, Age 90, (Penney Farms, FL) passed away Thursday, October 8.  He was born to Joseph Leinecker and Eileen Harold Leinecker in Miami, FL on June 3, 1930.  He was born at Jackson Memorial Hospital.  Little did he know that that his future wife, Marge Duff, would earn her RN from the Jackson Memorial School of Nursing.  Dick and his sister, Eileen (Mikki), were trained ballroom dancers.  They danced at Miami Beach hotels during World War II as kids.  Dick taught the drum major at Ponce de Leon High School how to do flips from the ground drawing on his ballroom dance training.  He played the trumpet in the high school band.  Dick later became a science school teacher and retired after teaching for Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 32 years.  His first year teaching was at Ponce de Leon High School.  He taught with some of the teachers that taught him at Ponce.  He taught science at Miami Central High School.  From 1973 to 1986, he taught Physics and Chemistry at Miami Palmetto Senior High School.  Dick knew how to teach his students using humor.  For this reason, he was well-liked by his students.  Dick was a very intelligent man who knew wiring, plumbing, electronics, and many other disciplines.  He earned his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Miami and was halfway towards his Doctor of Education degree.  Dick sang in the choir and was also the worship leader at Sharon Orthodox Presbyterian Church.  Dick sang in the choir, was an Elder, and was Clerk of the Session for Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, NC.  He married Marge Duff January 22, 1954. They were married over 66 years.  They retired in a house overlooking Etowah, NC in 1988 but moved back to Florida to Penney Farms in 2004.  After Marge passed away last May 26, Dick missed her very much, and this negatively affected his health.  Dick is survived by his daughter, Joy Curtis of Green Cove Springs, her sons Rick Leinecker of Orlando and David Leinecker of Fleming Island, 9 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. A private family memorial service will be held for both Dick and Marge Leinecker.