Dr. Pablo B. Leonardo of Lampasas, a longtime internist and cardiologist, died on Aug. 20, 2024. He was 85.
A rosary will be held at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel on Aug. 30 at 5:30 p.m., with visitation to follow until 8 p.m.
The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church on Aug. 31 at 10 a.m., with interment to follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Leonardo was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and was one of nine children of Dionisio and Eleuteria Leonardo. He earned his medical degree in 1962 from Manila Central University College of Medicine.
While working at North General Hospital in Manila, Leonardo met a nurse named Joy, who soon became the love of his life. They married in 1967 and started their life together in Manila before immigrating to the United States with their three young children.
Although he already was a practicing physician in the Philippines, Leonardo needed to pass the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates exam to become licensed in the United States -- a challenge he successfully completed in less than a year. After finishing his residency in internal medicine, he pursued a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
In October 1982, Leonardo moved with his family to Lampasas, Texas, where he began a private practice that spanned 37 years, with offices first in Lampasas and later in Killeen. Specializing in internal medicine and cardiology, he provided care to thousands of patients over nearly four decades.
Leonardo retired in 2019 at the age of 81 to care for his wife. He remained a licensed physician until his death.
A man of deep Catholic faith, Leonardo was involved in his parish, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lampasas. He served as an usher at Sunday Mass and took great pride in his membership and involvement with the Knights of Columbus. The camaraderie he found among his fellow Knights as they worked together to advance the Word of the Lord brought him immense joy and comfort during the final weeks of his life.
He also loved his family pets Lulu, Soju, Bobby and Luna.
Leonardo was known as an exceptional chess player, a skilled marksman, and an avid fisherman who found true happiness in nature. A passionate sports enthusiast, he spent his youth fishing or playing basketball and was the starting point guard for his university's basketball team. After moving to Lampasas, he became a lifelong Texas Longhorn fan. He sent two daughters to The University of Texas and, in his final year, often expressed that he was "just hanging on" to witness his eldest grandchild graduate from UT -- a promise he fulfilled in May 2024.
Leonardo is survived by his three children, Guia, Paul and Joyce; his sons-in-law Scott and Brian; grandchildren Kirsten, Charlotte, Luke, Ellyse and JP; sisters-in-laws and other extended family. He was preceded in death by several siblings and his wife, Joy Leonardo.
Donations can be made to Knights of Columbus Scholarship Fund, c/o St. Mary Catholic Church, 701 N. Key Ave., Lampasas, TX 76550; AdventHealth Volunteer Scholarship Program https://give-ct.adventhealth.com/give/614047/#!/donation/checkout; or the American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give.