Leon Fonnesbeck

Leon Alan Fonnesbeck

July 22, 1921 – Nov. 15, 2007

As written by Miki Straughan years ago for the “Senior Times” “Leon Fonnesbeck has the look of an elder statesman, the heart of a lion and the droll sense of humor of a born comedian.”

Born at home, the only son with two older sisters and brought up in the Mocky Mountain region of Utah, his father was the city attorney during Prohibition where bootlegging was rampant and often times hazardous.

His father, also named Leon Fonnesbeck, in 1923 fought the Logan City Power and Light Company for the welfare of the residents there.

Leon’s youth was filled with animals, music, reading, radio, woodworking and he always had many many stories to tell about growing up and living his life.

He schooled in Utah, graduated from high school at the age of 16 and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Utah State University in 1942.

World War II came along and in late 1942, Leon was drafted from Berkeley Law School in California. He resumed his education there at Boalth Hall of Law, Berkeley, in 1947, and graduated from there in 1949 with a J.D. (Juris Doctor of Law).

In 1950 he met and married Berit M. Frieberg, a lovely young Swedish immigrant. They were married for 50 years, until she died in 2000. They toured Northern Europe in 1952 and went around the world in 1962.

Leon became a trial attorney in the San Francisco Bay area, trying cases for insurance companies for 10 years and then switched over and tried cases on the plaintiff side for another 10 or 12 years.

Their only daughter, Emily, was born in December, 1956. Berit and Leon bought property on Shaw Island in August, 1970, and both made it their home in 1978,

Leon was first elected to the Board of Directors of Orcas Power and Light Cooperative on May 3, 1980. He was the first OPALCO director to be certified by the National Rural Electric Coop Association. He represented District 4 – Shaw, Bell, Canoe and Crane Islands. He was the backbone of the long legal battles with the Supply system, the infamous “WPPS” in the 1980s, and saved OPALCO from bankruptcy.

Leon was an amazing man and he will surely be missed.

Survived by one older sister, Marguerite Kloepfer and her husband Lynn of Ontario, Calif, his only daughter, Emily Justice, husband Perry and two grandchildren, Guy and Patrick Stickney, multiple nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and -nephews. A distant cousin, Barney Fonnesbeck, resides in Delta, B.C., Canada.

Memorial services will be held Dec. 9, 2007 at 3 p.m. at the Shaw Island Community Building, Shaw Island.

Submitted by Emily Justice