Leonard Yuzo Ota, 83, passed away on March 26, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.  Leonard was survived by his four children, Cynthia Kojaku, Dwayne Ota, Stephanie Ishitani and Lyle Ota.  In addition to being the best Dad to his four children, he was Grandpa to nine grandchildren and Great-Grandpa to one, and Uncle to many nieces and nephews.  He was also survived by his Kona family: sisters, Doris Yanagi, Winifred Yamagata, Sandra Ota, and brother, Vernon Ota.

Leonard was a much-loved family man, surrounded by family locally and in Kona, Hawaii, where he was born and raised.  His world was his growing family and his close friends.  He was someone who lived life humbly.  The simple things in life such as spending time with his family and friends meant everything to him.  He was not one to care for fancy events or expensive trips.  He loved tinkering in his backyard, growing orchids for pleasure, growing veggies, oranges and avocados for the family, and doing light woodwork when he could.  Talking story, sharing laughs, and getting together for holidays and adventures with his family and friends were priceless moments to him.

Not only was Leonard kind and compassionate to his family, but those traits extended to anyone and everyone he met.  He was a positive, happy, and very easy-going man, and everyone always gravitated towards him.  One of the many attributes that he had was his ability to make everyone feel welcome, and he always found a way to build a connection with anyone met.  Even when he went to a restaurant, he made a point of learning each person's name and would draw them into a conversation and always call them by name.  That is one of the reasons why everyone loved him and loved being around him.  He will definitely leave a huge gap in this family.  We love you so much, Dad!  A hui hou, Dad!  We miss you so much already!