Leon S. Peters, 90, died Dec. 4, 2021, following a brief illness.

Born Feb. 9, 1931, in Fogelsville, during the depths of the Great Depression, he was the son of the late Ralph and Verna (Dengler) Peters.

A 1949 graduate of Allentown High School, he was a member of National Honor Society.

Plans to attend Muhlenberg College changed due to the sudden death of his brother, LeRoy, from polio.

His family owned and operated a grocery and meat market employing five people but sold it following his brother’s death.

Facing the draft for the Korean Conflict, he joined the U.S. Army Security Agency, and was stationed at the Wildwood Base in Kenai, Alaska, with a mission to intercept Russian messages.

Having fulfilled his military obligation, he was discharged in 1955, returning to Fogelsville.

He was recruited by the Prudential Insurance Company as a sales agent, and was ultimately promoted to staff manager.

In 1968, he was recruited by Warren W. York & Co., where he specialized in bank stock sales, municipal bond underwriting, and the sale of tax-free bonds.

When Warren York was sold in 1987 to Legg Mason, then-president Chip Mason asked him to stay on for a two-year period, which turned into 20 years.

Legg Mason was ultimately sold to Morgan Stanley from which he retired in 2010 with 40 years in the brokerage business and a multitude of satisfied clients.

Always believing in giving back to the community, he spent six years on the Parkland School Board and 15 years as a founding trustee of the former Lehigh County Community College, now Lehigh Carbon Community College.

He was a passionate advocate for introducing young people to affordable higher education.

He also served as a board member for the Center for Vision Loss for more than 40 years.

A member of the Lehigh County Assessment Appeals Board for 18 years, he was a director of the Lehigh County Agricultural Society for more than 35 years, having served the previous four years as board treasurer, and most recently as the president of the board.

He was a driving force behind the creation of The Great Allentown Fair Foundation, which grants scholarships to deserving students and has also raised funds to renovate and illuminate the cupola atop the fairgrounds grandstand.

His past and present community activities have centered primarily within Lehigh County.

His proudest moment was when LCCC opened its doors to serve students who wanted further education toward a two-year Associate degree.

Many of those students continued on to earn Baccalaureate and advanced degrees at other educational institutions and who became productive members of society.

He was deeply involved in convincing the nine participating school boards the community college would benefit the community at large.

His survivors include his wife, Barbara Bigelow, whom he met in September 1990 on her second day in office at the City of Allentown, and then married in 2000; son, Noel, and wife, Alice (Balliet); and grandson, Austin Peters and his companion Melissa Piccinich.

Condolences may be offered to the family at schmoyerfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the church or The Great Allentown Fair Foundation c/o Schmoyer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 190, Breinigsville, PA 18031.