Joel Peter Leisch Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

It is with sorrow that the family announces the passing of Joel Leisch, a resident of GreenSpring, Springfield, VA since 2021 and of Northern Virginia since he moved back to the area in 2017. He was born in Baltimore, MD while his parents, Jack Leisch and Bettye Leisch (nee Holtzman), were stationed in the Blue Ridge Mountains while Jack was a surveyor and designer on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive in the 1930's and early 1940's. The family later resided in Arlington, Alexandria, and Silver Spring until 1956 when they moved to Wilmette in the Chicago area. Joel attended Purdue University in Civil Engineering attaining a BSCE. After a tour of duty in Viet Nam, with combat commendation medals, he returned to work as a consultant in Toronto. He later attended Northwestern University where he attained his MSCE. Mr. Leisch has planned or designed almost 2,000 miles of roadways and 900 interchanges throughout the US and 6 foreign countries. His focus overseas has been in Israel, where he visited 62 times, helping develop their national transportation system. Joel has taught professional development courses throughout the US, Canada, and numerous foreign countries. He is recognized as the leading expert on interchange design in the US and several foreign countries. Beyond his professional accomplishments, his memory is cherished by his three loving daughters Jody Darrow (Paul) of West Palm Beach, FL, Alyson Kalter of Vail, CO, and Jennifer Leisch of Denver, CO. His four grandchildren, Chase, Harley, Ross, and Ari adored their Grandfather and were fortunate to have many years with him. His memory is also cherished by his brother and sister-in-law, Gregory and Nancy Leisch of Alexandria, and nephews Mike Leisch and Jamie Leisch, for time spent with them traveling, fishing, toy train collecting, and teaching them tennis, bike riding, and skiing. Funeral services will be held at Jefferson Funeral Chapel, 5755 Castlewellan Drive, Alexandria, VA followed by internment at the King David Memorial Gardens National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are encouraged in Joel's name to: Jack E. Leisch Memorial National Graduate Fellowship, c/o Jack E. Leisch Fellowship Committee, American Society of Engineers, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191.

Tributes

Joel Peter Leisch

April 26, 1941 - June 30, 2022