05/29/2026
Rich Leonardo was born May 3, 1956, to Tony and Gerry Leonardo of Ferndale. If Rich were the first born, they may not have had another.
Rich passed away on April 30, 2026, just three days before his 70th birthday.
To his family, he was a son, little brother, uncle, great uncle, cousin and pain in the ass. We loved him and we will greatly miss him. To others, he was described as wild, loving, loud, sweet, stubborn, caring, emotional, ornery, heart of gold, teddy bear, and a few other names. He was a solid partner in crime for his friends (only some we can mention). Rich was always wanting to lend a helping hand, however, sometimes he accidentally started a war. Rich had a nickname provided by his closest friends when he was young, “Bananas.” It suited him well.
We loved him, and he passionately loved his friends and community.
Rich grew up attending grade school at Grizzly Bluff in Ferndale. He and his siblings were normal ranch kids who were always into a little bit of mischief. As Rich was the youngest, he was unwilfully selected as the test pilot for many of their youthful adventures. After the historic 1964 flood, a major chapter in the Leonardo Family Album, this forced the Leonardo kids to attend school in town (Ferndale). Rich graduated from Ferndale High School in 1974 as the class president. Who knew?
After graduation, Rich entered the dairy business as a partner with his dad at Leonardo & Son Dairy. “Dairy rancher” was the title, although cows were not really the priority. Rich spent most of his time logging and mining the river bar. That John Deere tractor was put to the test skidding and loading logs, mining gravel, and a few other tasks better not mentioned here in the paper.
“Bananas” provided everyone with some good material from these days. We could start with the St Helena Football game, talk about his flatbed Toyota, or when he … well, we can tell these stories later in good company.
During the ranch years, Rich became heavily involved in community service, “wait a while” this is serious. Rich joined the Ferndale Fire Department. The first role of Rich in the department started as Company 1 Lieutenant, quickly advancing to Captain, then assistant Chief before ultimately assuming the role “Chief Leonardo.”
Chief Leonardo’s leadership extended beyond Ferndale Fire. He served as President of the Humboldt County Fire Chiefs Association for two years, fostering collaboration and communication among fire departments throughout the region. He loved his role.
Rich’s commitment and expertise in public safety was further recognized when he was appointed to the prestigious “Gang of 5” committee which he served for 5 years. Formed after the tragic events of 9/11, this committee was comprised of the sheriff, two fire chiefs, the head of public health, and a police chief. The committee was tasked with distributing grants that enhanced public safety infrastructure and preparedness. His years of service and rise through the ranks speaks volumes about his commitment to Humboldt County and the Eel River Valley. Rich did an excellent job and took these roles more seriously than anything else in his life.
Rich always wanted to help make someone’s day brighter. Sometime in the 2000s, Ginger, Rich’s older sister, wanted to see the Ferndale Christmas Tree lit up one last time on New Years Eve. Ferndale had been out of power for a few days so the tree was not lit. Rich coordinated getting a generator to plug in the tree and proudly called his sister to go outside and take a look. That sure put a huge smile on her face! They managed to light up three strands of lights and of course the star on top was shining brightly. Rich made his sister happy … on that day.
During the next chapter in Richie’s life, he went to work for his brother Tony at Leonardo Logging. Rich loved working in the timber industry. Rich, otherwise known as R6 on the company radio, helped take care of safety, dispatching trucks, pilot car, running errands and most of all, public relations. It suited Rich well! With a new pick up and a fuel card, he was set. Tony was thankful for all those times he had Rich for the extra help … but could never find Rich? Rich looked up to his brother, and Tony loved his little brother, and that is why Tony never killed him.
As we all know, Rich had a very strong work ethic. He worked regular shifts at the Palace in Ferndale and The Playroom in Fortuna, rarely missing a shift. He operated his own pilot car service in between shifts, and even had a short stint contributing to the press at the Ferndale Enterprise.
Rich was a social butterfly, and it is now confirmed, Rich did know everyone! The outpouring of calls, texts, and conversations we have received is amazing. People from all walks of life! We are laughing and scratching our heads wondering about a few. One thing we can say for sure is that Rich had a larger and more diverse group of friends than most people can comprehend. This is a true reflection of who he was. Thank you to all those who stopped by to say hello to Rich over the past two months.
We know Rich would want to mention his best friend, Dave Mogni. Rich had a difficult time with the recent passing of Dave. Some of the best times of Richie’s life were spent with Dave, and the most memorable was the sailing trip he took with Dave and Barb around the Virgin Islands. This is not to say Dave was his only best friend. To the Pretzel “Guy”, he loved and listened to you more than he would his own family. He was SO proud of all the fun times you shared. Thank you for all you have done for him over the years.
To all Richie’s other best friends, you know he loved you guys. Bobby Shinn for all the adventures since childhood, Luke McCanless and the gang for all the food, beverages and crabbing adventures, Kevin Frye, and too many others to mention. You all know who you are! Thank you for being a part of his family.
To all the staff at Fortuna Rehab, we know Rich would want to give a big shout out to all the ladies! You took such great care of him, and we thank you very much for your sincere love and care. Our appreciation to Pat Cowan for her loving comfort and knowledge to Rich and our family.
Richard is survived by his brother Tony and wife Janice Leonardo, his sister Ginger Nunes, his nephews Shannon and wife Amy Leonardo, Brian and wife Nikki Leonardo, Trevor and girlfriend Brenna Kirkpatrick, Lucas and wife Cassie Leonardo, nieces Sierra and husband Phil Mullens, Michelle Nunes and son Faris, great nephew Shaun Leonardo and fiancé Kaylee, great nieces Ava Leonardo and Jessica Leonardo. And soon to be great-great niece, Peyton Leonardo.
Rich was preceded in death by his parents, Tony and Gerry Leonardo, sister Tina Leonardo, and brother-in-law John Nunes.
A celebration of life for Rich, Uncle Richie, Bananas, will be held at the Portuguese Hall in Ferndale on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Show up around 11 a.m. for a drink. We will have some stories and lunch then most likely have a parade across the alley to finish off the day at Richie’s office.
