Leonard D. Fantasia, 80, of Atlantic Highlands, passed away peacefully Sept. 6, 2025, after a valiant battle with leukemia.
Born Sept. 16, 1944, in Jersey City, Leonard was the beloved son of the late Leonard “Leo” Fantasia and Alice (Ganley) Fantasia. He spent his early years in Jersey City before raising his family in Manalapan, and later settled in Atlantic Highlands to be closer to the sea he so deeply loved.
Leonard was predeceased by his wife of 38 years, Maureen (Dugan) Fantasia. Together, they built a loving home for their daughters, Laurie Fantasia (Bobby Card) and Cheryl Fantasia Wilder. He was the proud and devoted “Pop-Pop” to his cherished grandchildren, Ryan Fantasia, James Wilder, Jonathon Wilder and Christian Wilder. In 2008, Leonard found love again and married Donna Waters, gaining a second family whom he embraced wholeheartedly, expanding his Pop-Pop role to include Donna’s grandchildren, Isla, Lara, Nicholas, Hayden and Scarlett.
Leonard is also survived by his sisters, Lillian Goellner (Robert), Cathy Kimberlin (James), and Alice Fantasia Hogan, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends whom he always treated like family.
He was predeceased by his brothers, Peter Fantasia (Shelly) and Martin Fantasia and his sisters-in-law, Patricia (Ezio) DeVito and Lois Curry.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Newark, with a degree in microbiology, Leonard began his career with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He later joined Johnson & Johnson, where he advanced through the years to retire as vice president of Worldwide Quality & Compliance Services. His professional accomplishments were matched only by the dedication and integrity with which he approached every endeavor.
Beyond his career, Leonard’s greatest loves were his family, fishing and his gardens. Known fondly as “Captain Len,” he was an avid fisherman and proud member of the Hi-Mar Striper Club and the NJ Anglers Association, where he championed the protection of marine life along the Jersey Shore. His boat, the Wave Dancer, was a source of joy not only for him but for all who were welcomed aboard.
Leonard was also a devoted communicant of St. Agnes Church in Atlantic Highlands, where his faith was an important part of his life.
Leonard will be remembered for his generosity, his love of the sea, his passion for life and the countless ways he shared his heart and home with others. To know him was to know warmth, generosity and the steadfast embrace of family.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 12 at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Road, Middletown. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Sept. 13 at St. Agnes Church, 103 Center Ave., Atlantic Highlands. Interment will follow at Bay View Cemetery, Leonardo.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children (shrinerschildrens.org) in Leonard’s memory.
The article originally appeared in the September 11 – 17, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
