John Herman Leigh

December 22,1949-July 29,2026

Joseph Herman Leigh, 76, passed away peacefully on July 29, 2026. Born in Philadelphia, Joe moved to Swedesboro, New Jersey in 1980. Joe embraced life and cherished his relationships with his sons; Joby (Rebecca) and Joshua. He was so proud of the men they had become. Joe adored his 5 grandchildren, Adam, Shane, Zachary, Harper, and JJ, and remained a constant fan of their individual athletic and artistic pursuits. In addition to his children and grandchildren, Joe is survived by his sister Marianne (Joseph) and numerous nieces and nephews who he loved dearly. Joe is predeceased by brother, Richard (Joan).
As a young man, Joe served in the Marines, achieving the rank of Sergeant E5 after only 3 years. Joe was a Vietnam veteran and also served in Japan at Camp Fuji. When stationed at Okinawa, Japan, he climbed Mt. Fuji as part of cold weather training. During his tour of duty, he spent a month in Sydney, Australia and Taipei, Taiwan. He often said that his time serving as a Marine shaped his entire life .
After leaving the service, Joe worked as a union Boilermaker from 1971 through 2005, a member of Local 28. He was proud of his work ethic and the many projects he completed in his working years. Joe was known as a strong leader in his trade and truly cared for his boilermaker co-workers, developing fond memories of his work life over the years. Outside of work, Joe enjoyed boating and fishing. He had a treasured community of friends at Farley Marina’s I Dock for over 30 years, Joe was an avid Philly sports fan. He adored dogs and spent much of his time playing with his beloved pets during his retirement.
In later years Joe had a loving relationship with his companion, Kathy. He lived a life he was proud of. He was always someone who could be counted on at any time, for any reason and was an exceptional friend to all who knew him. At his death, Joe was surrounded by his family,and passed with the dignity that had characterized his entire life. Please remember Joe and his warm-hearted spirit and cherish the memories you had with him.
Come celebrate 76 great years Wednesday August 5, 4-6 p.m. at Daley Life Celebration Studio, 1518 Kings Highway, Swedesboro where there will be a 6 p.m. storytime service.