Fernando J. Leon

Fernando was born in Lima, Peru on September 7, 1940. He was the 2nd son and 4th child of Jorge and Blanca Leon. As a young boy, he lived to tease his older sisters and later, his youngest brother. While he was a bright young man, school was not his favorite activity; he preferred being a mischievous young boy. As his pranks tended to get him in trouble a bit too often, his parents kept transferring him to schools further and further away. He finally ended up in a military secondary school, Colegio Militar Leoncio Prado, where he would make lifelong friends. Whenever possible, he would attend the class reunions. Fernando was the son of an engineer, who came from and spawned generations of engineers. When it came time to complete his schooling, he decided to move to the United States. He settled in San Francisco, California in the mid-60’s, where he took intensive English courses and engineering courses at the same time. To put himself through school, he worked as a bartender. It was during this time he met and fell in love with his wife, Gladys. They were wed on March 10, 1967. Within a few short years, they both became proud U.S. citizens. Soon after, they began expanding their little family. Monica was born during their time in San Francisco. A few short years later, they welcomed a second daughter, Diana, born in the state of Washington. Fernando had an adventurous spirit. He loved exploring new places and often took jobs that were just projects, so he could find another job in another state afterwards. He moved his family from California, to Washington, to Missouri, Michigan, Florida, New York, Venezuela, Pennsylvania, finally settling in Virginia for the past three decades. There was even a three year stint in Saudi Arabia. As a Virginia resident, he became an avid (and long suffering) fan of the Washington Redskins. Fernando loved traveling the world. He ended his career at the State Department, where he was a cost estimator who renovated American embassies in foreign countries. This was by far his favorite job. He traveled the globe frequently and managed to get to know the countries, their labor and their materials costs so well in a limited amount of time, he would receive many State Department awards recognizing his skill. Fernando made sure his family wanted for nothing. He worked hard to provide a loving home and good education. He was a wonderful husband, a supportive father and a doting grandfather. Family is what brought him the greatest joy, but nothing made him prouder than becoming a grandfather to his two grandsons, Ryan and Brady. While he was proud of his daughters’ accomplishments, his eyes lit up whenever he spoke of his grandsons. When Ryan was learning to speak, he could not pronounce Fernando and began calling his grandad Nano; the nickname stuck and he has been lovingly referred to as Nano ever since. When his grandsons were little, you could find Nano reading and playing with them constantly. As they got older, he enjoyed going to their sporting events and cheering them on. In March 2017, Fernando and Gladys celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They renewed their wedding vows in a lovely, intimate ceremony, surrounded by family and friends. Nano leaves behind his beloved wife, Gladys; daughter Monica and her husband John, her son Ryan with his new bride Cassandra; and daughter Diana and her son Brady. He is survived by his sister Betty and his brother Carlos. Nano was a kind, gentle, generous soul who will be missed by the many friends and family who always knew he could be counted on for a laugh, for the warmest of welcomes and for his delicious homemade chocolates. Please join the family for a reception after the burial at 7033 Roxann Road, Alexandria, VA 22315

Tributes

Fernando J. Leon

September 7, 1940 - December 22, 2018