Leon Minear, who died Oct. 15 at 93, taught at the University of Denver, played in dance bands, advised two presidents and was a ham-radio operator for 77 years.
Minear was a U.S. regional educational administrator, living in Denver, but his life took many paths.
His first job in college was to play in a five-piece band on a cruise ship that went around the world in 3 1/2 months.
“The pay was only $1 a day, but he got room and board,” said his son, Roger Minear of Wyomissing, Pa. Leon Minear moved to Pennsylvania in 2005 after the death of his wife, Dolores Minear.
Leon Minear considered a music career because he could play several instruments and played in several bands. But he decided job security was more important, his son said.
During World War II, he was a flight-radio operator for the Navy and Pan American Airways, flying seaplanes, and later was a training superintendent.
During his first stay in Denver, he was assistant professor of education at DU, then went on to be president of Stockton College in California (now called San Joaquin Delta College); principal of Benson Polytechnic School in Portland, Ore.; and Oregon superintendent of schools. In 1968, was he was named commissioner of vocational-technical education for the U.S. Office of Education and returned to Denver for the U.S. regional commissioner job in 1971. He retired in 1980.
It was while he was in Oregon that he served as a consultant to Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson on evaluating various educational programs that might get government funding. He had helped organize national and international educational conferences.
“He was a great storyteller,” said his nephew, Les Minear of Fort Worth, Texas.
Leon Minear told a story about arriving early for one meeting with Johnson “and the two of them polished off a bottle of Jack Daniel’s” before other consultants arrived, said Les Minear. Leon Minear remembered that hangover for a long time, said his nephew.
Leon P. Minear was born in San Antonio on March 20, 1915, graduated from San Francisco State College and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in education from Stanford University.
On Aug. 20, 1939, he married Dolores Goetzee, whom he had met when they were music students at San Francisco State College.
His first job after college was as a junior-high-school music teacher in Oakland, Calif.
He had been a ham-radio operator since his teen years and continued that until a month before his death. He also continued playing the violin until about 12 years ago, when he broke his wrist.
In addition to his son, he is survived by two grandsons.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
