Leighton Mansfield Lobdell was a wonderful athlete, musician, executive, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend.
He was born Sept. 27, 1927 in New York City. He was predeceased by his older siblings, Francis “Red” Leighton Lobdell and Brenda Lobdell Taylor Rudner; his parents, Ruth Adams Lobdell and Leighton Lobdell; his maternal grandparents, Frances Gutterson Adams and Edward Dean Adams, who built the infrastructure that transports electric power from Niagara Falls to New York and many other cities; and his paternal grandparents, the Rev. Francis Lobdell and Julia Doon Lobdell.
Leighton was raised in Rumson and educated at St. Mark’s School (’46) and the University of Virginia (’52). He was a member of the U.S. Army, 24th Infantry Division, in Japan from 1946-1948, where he played table tennis, baseball and football and was known as Leighton “Golden Toe” Lobdell.
He married Phyllis Billings Scott April 5, 1952, and they had five children: Shelley Lobdell Crowell (m. Jay Crowell), Lanier Scott Lobdell (m. Juli Harding), Leighton Danforth Lobdell (m. Diane Lally), Kimberly Lobdell (m. Eddie Mickla) and Andrew Adams Lobdell. From 1954 to 1981 Leighton worked at the Continental Corporation becoming vice president and treasurer. From 1981 until he retired in 1993 he was senior vice president and treasurer of the Brooklyn-based Independence Savings Bank.
Over the years Leighton participated in a variety of church, civic and charitable activities. He played a lot of competitive and social racquet sports, achieving some statewide notoriety in squash, racquet and paddle tennis, as well as local success in tennis. The latter included some men’s doubles tournaments. He was also involved with the New Jersey Junior Chamber of Commerce and was their international director in 1962 and 1963; he was a Senior Warden of St. George’s-by-the-River, Rumson.
Leighton married Marybeth Little Weston May 25, 1991. His stepchildren are Mark Weston (m. Linda Richichi), Eric Weston (m. Cynthia) and Carol Weston (m. Robert Ackerman). Together they had 19 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Leighton and Marybeth moved to Vicar’s Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida in 2000, where he read to second-graders at a nearby school and played piano for church services and social events. He composed music for which Marybeth wrote the lyrics – their music is magical!
Leighton was predeceased by Marybeth in March 2015. His ashes will be buried alongside hers at the Adams family gravesite in the Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York, Friday, Aug 16, at a family service.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Vicar’s Landing Scholarship Fund to celebrate the terrific students, including those who served Marybeth and Leighton lunch in the dining room for many, many wonderful years.
