John Arthur Leslie was born on October 10, 1929 in Mitchell, Indiana. He moved with his family to Anderson, Ohio where he attended Anderson High School outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. While growing up in Ohio, John would go hunting in the morning before school and his father would give him 3 bullets and was told to bring home three kills or do not come home. Needless to say, he became an expert shot. While in High School, John was an accomplished athlete in Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track. In Track, he qualified for the Ohio state track meet in the discus and competed in the Ohio State University Football Stadium. John graduated from High School in May of 1947 and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs baseball organization and played in the minor leagues as a pitcher from 1947 to 1950. He would always say that playing baseball was the only way to get off the farm and when asked why he wanted to be a pitcher he said "Because everyone else wanted to be catchers and I wanted to be on the field". During his time as a professional baseball player, he played against some of the game's greatest players such as Mickey Mantle.  In 1950, John was drafted in the Army but when he went to the draft site, he slipped out the window and went to enlist in the newly formed United States Air Force. John served in combat during the Korean War and remembers sailing past Hawaii on his way to the Asian continent. John comes from a proud family that has served their country in uniform. John's father served in World War I where he was wounded 14 times in battle with the 37 ^th Division and he had two brothers serve in World War II.  He also had a family dog that was drafted into the Army that was killed in action during World War II. John is preceded in death by his Mother (Ethel), Father (Arthur), 3 brothers (Del, Dee, Buck), his x-wife (Margaret). Nephew (Gary Leslie) and grandson (Jason Leslie).

During the war, John met his first wife Margaret in Sacramento, California and they had 4 children. Kent, Kathy, Kelly and Kurt. After separating from the military, John relocated with his family to Houston Texas and tried to revive his baseball career. But due to an injury sustained while serving, he could no longer perform at a professional level. So, he began his career working in the family hardware store called Krus Hardware. For the next 55 years, John worked for various lumber companies and sold building materials to builders who built many of the homes in the Houston area. One of his favorite sayings was "to be a good salesman you have to sell yourself first".  John tried to retire several times but missed his friends in the building business and thought if he was going to hang out with his friends, he might as well get paid to do it.  John finally retired from full time work at the age of 88 but always talked of going back to work. John was an avid golfer and bowler and very competitive at both.

John is survived by his sister Peg Leslie.  4 children and their spouses: Kent Leslie and wife Patty, Kathy Haas, Kelly Kuhen and husband Sam, Kurt Leslie and wife Romona. He has 10 grandchildren: Russell Leslie, Dustin Haas, Dana Haas, Melissa Standlee, Khrista Hildibrandt, Allen Kuehn, Timothy Kuehn, Lauren Leslie, Kalyn Leslie and Camryn Leslie. He has 21 great grandchildren: Eddie, Allen, Tynlie, Branson, Johnathan, Zoe, Melody, Raylynn, Jasmine, Lacie, Clayton, Logan, Sierra, Dominick, Dylan, Reece, Kyillah, Aspyin, Khaemyn, Serynity, Paisley, and Porter. John also had 1 Great-Great Grandchild, Elaina Rose. He is also survived by his nephew Rex Leslie and his niece Delores Leslie