Leonhard G. Siebert

Leonhard Gregor Siebert, 91, a longtime resident of Manchester CT, passed away on Tuesday December 16, 2025 after a period of declining health. 

Leo was born on October 23, 1934, in Lodz Poland, the only child of Martha and Wilhelm Siebert. Wilhelm had moved his young family from Germany for employment as a businessman in the thriving, industrial hub in Poland. 

When Leo was a young boy, his parents separated. During those early years of his life in German-occupied, and later Russian-occupied Poland, he and his mother found themselves in the middle of horrific events which he chose not to share with his family until his later years. 

Eventually, he and his mother were able to escape the Russian-occupied territory into Germany and find relatives there to settle with. Leo attended a technical school where he learned the machinist trade. Later, an uncle convinced him to join the Merchant Marine which he did in his late teens. 

He sailed around the world, but when he visited the port in Miami, he knew that America was where he wanted to live. He applied for the proper documents and waited patiently. On January 8, 1957, he flew into New York City, and his sponsor, the director of Manchester Memorial Hospital, picked him up and brought him to Manchester CT. The cold and snow of New England was not what he'd expected, but he happily settled into his job in the maintenance department. He began to master the English language by reading anything he could get his hands on including comic books and later, American novels. 

He quickly started to make friends and socialize and inevitably attended a dance at the YMCA in Hartford where he met the love of his life, Ann Carol Thrall. After a short engagement, they were married on May 23, 1958. Shortly after that he received a draft notice and was extremely proud to join the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Panama where Ann joined him and gave birth to their first daughter, Christa in December 1959.

 After his service, they returned to a small apartment in Manchester CT, but he was soon called back as conflict escalated in Vietnam, and was stationed at Fort Knox, KY. After serving a second time, Leo was absolutely thrilled to be granted U.S. citizenship. He moved his family back east and bought a small house in Bolton CT. Leo found work at the Burnside Company in East Hartford and later at Pratt and Whitney where he completed 30 years of service.

The family continued to grow with the arrival of Cara in '66, Gregor in '69 and Gordon in '71. Leo's love of the sea drove him to purchase a small sailboat, and the family spent those early summers camping along the shore and sailing on Long Island Sound. 

The family quickly outgrew their small home, and Leo sold the sailboat in order to purchase a dream home for his wife and family in Manchester CT. While the family grew and he worked full time to support them, Leo was driven to pursue higher education. He earned an Associate Degree from Manchester Community College alongside Christa in 1979, and a subsequent Bachelor's of Science degree from Central Connecticut State University in 1983. He instilled the drive for higher education in all his children. 

Leo and Ann instilled the Christian faith in their kids. In difficult times, he’d encourage them to "get on your hands and knees and pray," and a common punishment was writing the Ten Commandments ten times. 

Leo was a perfectionist in all things, and would spend hours researching which car, computer, appliance, or tool was the absolute best, and additionally, which person to hire, or which airline to fly. 

Aware of his difficulty with public speaking, he joined Toastmasters International where he was a member for several years, and served as the local chapter president. 

Leo was an avid photographer and developed and printed his own photos for many years. He was also a gifted artist and painter and filled his home with many beautiful oil and water-color paintings. He loved gardening and spent hours tending to his lawn, vegetable and flower garden, and various fruit trees. His research led him to the establishment of a small worm farm which he maintained for several years and used the "tea" they produced to fertilize his various flowers and plants. 

He loved to travel and took many trips with Ann in his later years. They made a few trips to Germany where he reconnected with old friends and family, and visited Gregor when he was stationed at Ramstein A.F.B. They also took several trips to Spain, Florida, Hawaii, and Alaska. 

He enjoyed get-togethers with family and friends and would always try to find out their opinion on his current topic of interest. He loved meeting and talking to people and was always interested in learning about the personal lives of new acquaintances. His good humor and big smile will be missed by all! 

Leo lived a wonderful life in his home until his health began to decline. He and Ann moved into The Residence at South Windsor Farms where Leo received stellar care from the folks in the Memory Care Unit.

Leo retained a slight German accent his entire life. He enjoyed attending events at the Hartford German Club and kept in touch with his kinfolk in Germany. But he never described himself as "German" or "German-American". He considered himself an American and he lived the American dream to prove it.

Leo is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ann, as well as: his daughter Christa and her husband Robert Hesselbach of Manchester CT; Grandson Eric Hesselbach and his wife Katherine of Manchester CT; Granddaughter Holly and her husband Jonathan Raiola and their daughters Hannah, Haylie, and Harper of Manchester CT; his daughter Cara and her husband Thomas Christensen of Coventry CT; Grandson Arleigh and his wife Victoria Christensen and their son Mason of Columbia CT; Granddaughter Catrina Christensen of Columbia CT; his son Gregor and his wife Laurie Siebert of Alexandria VA; his son Gordon and his wife Chris Siebert and their sons Gordie, Geoffrey, and Simon of Windham CT; his sister-in-law Ivy Lehmann of South Windsor CT; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a small donation to a veterans charity of your choice.

Calling Hours will be held on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 from 9am till 11am at Manchester Funeral Home, located at 400 Main Street, Manchester CT. A Funeral Home Service will take place between 11am and 11:30am with a Burial to follow with Military Honors at East Cemetery, located at 220 East Center Street, Manchester CT. To leave an online condolence please visit www.manchesterfh.com