Andrew Michael Leonard, a Class of 2017 Cienega graduate who went on to play basketball at Central Arizona College and Western New Mexico, has passed away at age 26 after a courageous battle with metastatic melanoma.
A celebration of Leonard’s life will be at the Tucson Firefighter’s Association at 2430 N. Huachuca Drive in Tucson on May 17 from 1 to 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.
“He brought so much light and joy to everyone around him with his infectious smile, kind heart, humor, and relentless passion for life,” Leonard’s obituary reads.
Leonard had a history of training with former Arizona football and basketball player Kelvin Eafon, who operates the Desert Storm basketball club.
He played in 74 career varsity basketball games at Cienega and averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game his senior season (2016-17).
As a freshman at Central Arizona in 2017-18, Andrew had a 50-point game while making 13 shots from 3-point range, a school record.
He was named an Academic All-American during his time at Central Arizona.
He went on to spend three seasons (2019 to 2022) at Western New Mexico, where he earned a master’s degree in business administration.
He achieved working his dream job as a financial analyst for Pima County.
“Andrew was more than an athlete; he was a devoted son, a loyal friend, and an inspiration to all who knew him,” his obituary states. “His courage in facing his illness was a testament to his strength and character.”
Leonard is survived by his loving parents, Aaron and Leslie Leonard, brothers Jacob and Ryan Leonard, Grandmothers Cindy Resnick and Anita Leonard, beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, his maltipoo Nash, and his friends who will forever cherish his memory.
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