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Robert Monroe Leese, MD

Dec 3, 2021

Robert (“Bud”) Leese passed away on November 21, 2021, at his home in Springfield, New Hampshire, with his family by his side. He was a respected physician and beloved family man. Those who knew Bud best admired his abiding pragmatism, keen intellect, and sharp wit.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland to Dorothy Leese (nee Leister) and Robert Levine Leese, Bud was reared in Westminster, Maryland in a home of avid Orioles fans, classical music enthusiasts and active members of Grace Lutheran Church. Bud was valedictorian of Westminster High School’s class of 1971 and a standout athlete in American Legion baseball, and on the Owls football, basketball, and track teams, representing Carroll County as a Maryland Football Scholar-Athlete in his senior year. He went on to major in chemistry at Dartmouth College (Class of 1975, magna cum laude), where he played football, and with his mentor and advisor Dr. Gordon Gribble, published research exploring reactions of borohydride in acidic media. Many of Bud’s most treasured friendships were forged laughing deep into many nights with his brothers of the Harold Parmington Foundation. Following Dartmouth, Bud studied medicine at the Medical College of Virginia through a commission with the U.S. Air Force (Class of 1979) and completed his residency in Family Practice at Andrews Air Force Base (now Joint Base Andrews). He served at Homestead AFB in Florida, Ankara Air Station in Turkey, and Bolling AFB in Washington, D.C., before resigning his commission at the rank of Major in 1987 to pursue civilian practice.

Those who loved Bud remain in awe of his selfless devotion to family and his medical practice. In 1978, he and his high school sweetheart, Claudia Zent, married and for the next 43 years their partnership navigated joy and challenges. After the Air Force, they settled in Amherst, NH, where they would live for the next 33 years and raise their children. Bud dedicated his professional time to the practice of family medicine with Matthew Thornton Health (now Dartmouth-Hitchcock) in Nashua, NH. He enjoyed working with patients and medical professionals alike – and found particularly good humor among the nurses and staff members of Nashua South. He is remembered for his thorough, practical and kind clinical approach as well as for his longing for the days when medicine might be more patient- than profit-centric. Dr. Leese retired in 2012 after 33 years of medical practice.

In retirement, Bud built on a lifelong love of duplicate bridge, earning the rank of Ruby Life Master and making many dear friends. He was a passionate advocate for and student of alternative energy, designing and overseeing the installation of solar energy systems for his homes in Amherst and Springfield and completing electrical studies coursework at Manchester Community College. Bud and Claudia visited many quiet nooks in the Granite State before landing finally in 2020 alongside Lake Kolelemook, where they savored the peace and tranquility they found there. During their Covid-challenged move to Springfield, Bud recognized the symptoms of a GI bleed in himself and, shortly thereafter, was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. He was one of the lucky ones, surviving the diagnosis for over 18 months. In that time, he welcomed his first grandchild, Greer Robert Leese, and celebrated life with friends and family.

Bud is survived by his wife, Claudia Zent of Springfield; son and daughter-in-law Nelson Leese and Cullen Michaels Naumoff Leese, and their son Greer Robert Leese of Seattle, Washington; daughter Amanda Leese and partner Koorosh Firouzbakht of Waltham, Massachusetts; sister and brother-in-law Christine and Tom Shepard of Kernersville, North Carolina; sister and brother-in-law Gail Leese and Tom Wokasch of Gig Harbour, Washington; sisters-in-law Kathryn (Bennett) Sweren of Lutherville, Maryland and Rhonda (Patrick) Zent-Burton of Westminster, Maryland; six nieces, one nephew, and numerous cousins and cherished friends. He is predeceased by his parents; brother-in-law, Robert Zent; and mother-in-law, Jean Zent. Services will be private. The family invites those who wish to celebrate Bud to do so through a donation to the Union of Concerned Scientists, https://www.ucsusa.org/about.