Joseph J. Leyland

Joseph J. Leyland, 86, of Avon, Conn., husband of Joyce Price Leyland, died Thursday.

Born in Butler, he was a son of the late Joseph and Agnes Slater Leyland. He was raised there and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

After the war, he received his bachelor's degree from Penn State and began his career in insurance. He joined the Aetna Insurance Co. in 1965, specializing in property and casualty, then joining the Royal Insurance Company in 1989 until his retirement.

Joe's playful approach to life served as a model for all who knew him. He had two basic philosophies, “Because I said so” and “I'll be the judge of that,” which lead to a delightful give-and-take at the dinner table.

Perhaps most important to Joe was educating his four children on careless table manners, superfluous car maintenance and the hedonism of Band-Aids when “all it needs is a little air.”

He was a Little League baseball coach and CYO basketball coach in East Hartford for many years. An accomplished musician, he played the trombone in the Charlotte, N.C., City Orchestra and sang with the Simsbury Intonations. Indeed, his unique multioctave stylings kept the audience enthralled.

Besides his adoring wife, of 59 years, Joyce, he leaves behind his children, Andrew (Patty) Leyland of Colchester, Conn., Nanette (Craig) Peterson of Gladstone, N.J., Laura Leyland and Benjamin (Jennifer) Leyland, all of West Hartford; seven grandchildren, Rachel, Kate, Emily, Hannah, Lily, Charlotte and Maxwell; two great-grandchildren, Nora and Ronan; two brothers, Harry of Butler and Victor of Trenton, N.J.; one sister, Margaret Stehney of Jeannette, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his siblings Loretta, John and Dolores.

LEYLAND — Family and friends of Joseph J. Leyland, who died Thursday, June 29, 2017, are invited to a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. Thursday directly at the Church of Saint Ann, 289 Arch Road, Avon, Conn.A memorial reception will be at the Simsbury Inn following the service at St. Ann. Burial will be at the family's convenience at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery.Contributions in lieu of flowers, may be sent to LLS Light the Night Walk, Team Emmy Lou's Fundraising page at the following address http://bit.ly/2t5BPWR.The Carmon Funeral Home & Family Center of Avon, Conn., is caring for the arrangements.For directions or condolences please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com.