E. Ray Leppo Jr., former Hess Shoes design director and a longtime member of the Masonic and Scottish Rite communities, died in his sleep Oct. 27 at his Lutherville home.
He was 96.
“Ray’s life was defined by four pillars: faith, family, community and country,” the Rev. J. Joseph “Joe” Hart, former chaplain and director of spiritual services at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, wrote in an email to The Baltimore Sun.
“His unwavering devotion to his beloved wife was a cornerstone of his life, marked by shared adventures and commitment to serving others,” the Rev. Hart wrote. “Ray was an unassuming, humble man who wanted to give so that others could receive.”
Elmer Ray Leppo Jr., son of a Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. worker and Margaret Southcomb Leppo, was born and raised in West Baltimore.
He was a graduate of Forest Park High School, where he played football and took part in many school activities.
Drafted into the Army in 1950, Mr. Leppo was on active duty for two years until being discharged in 1952, and remained a reservist until 1956.
After leaving the military in 1952, he took a general display job working in papier-mâché and silk screening at the old Cannon Shoe Co. on Mount Royal Avenue.
While working there, he met and fell in love with Margaret Dixon. The couple married in 1952.
Mr. Leppo graduated with honors from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1958, and began a 46-year career as a designer, and later head of design, where he oversaw and directed new construction and upgrades to existing Baltimore stores.
His efforts could be seen at Hess Shoes in Belvedere Square, one of the stores known to generations of Baltimoreans. .
The shoe store featured a barbershop for children, The Snippery, and a sliding board that had been designed by Potyler, Ketthum and Myers, and “became a cherished feature for children,” the Rev. Hart wrote.
The former shoe store, which is now a restaurant, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, the Rev. Hart said, due in part to Mr. Leppo’s efforts.
During his tenure, he oversaw stores in Towson Town Center, White Marsh Mall, Owings Mills Mall, Cranberry Mall in Westminster, and stores in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Washington and Virginia.
“He was an artist, designer and producer of retail displays that enticed generations of Baltimoreans,” the Rev. Hart wrote.
Mr. Leppo retired in 2004.
He had been involved with the Masonic and Scottish Rite communities since a young age, and had been a member of Demolay, a Masonic youth organization, for more than 70 years.
He was a member of the Blue Lodge and Boumi Shrine 100 Club, and served as secretary-registrar and personal representative to the Baltimore Scottish Rite. In recognition of his Masonic activities, he was awarded the 33 degree Grand Cross, the highest award presented to a member of the Scottish Rite.
Mr. Leppo and his wife were active members of First English Lutheran Church in Guilford for more than 50 years.
They were lifelong cat lovers.
Mrs. Leppo, who had been executive assistant to Thomas F. McNulty, owner, president and CEO of Belvedere Broadcasting Corp., the owner of WWIN Radio, died in 2006.
Funeral services for Mr. Leppo were held Thursday at the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Guilford.
There are no immediate survivors.