Vale: Leon Pezzimenti 1945 - 2024

Many of our readers may know that this publication is the brainchild and passion of Leon Pezzimenti. As a prominent local character, his recent passing leaves a considerable hole in the local community. And what a character Leon was. 

Leon was a local resident of Hawthorn for 60 years, making his mark professionally as an Architect locally, and across Melbourne having designed and built houses, units, warehouses, offices, aged care homes and more. 

Leon demonstrated a rare energy and verve for people, community and activity. Never content to simply watch life go by, Leon was typically found at the frontline of whatever was going on in Glenferrie Hawthorn, if not the actual catalyst of the activity. 

Over the years, Leon was involved in Glenferrie Rotary, Hawthorn Meals on Wheels, Glenferrie Traders Association and the publisher of this newsletter, which was a source of tremendous pride for him, mostly due to the fact that it allowed local issues, people and small business traders a chance to be spotlighted. It was his selfless acts of community-mindedness that defined the man I got to know over the past three years. Although Leon entrusted the actual process of putting together The Glenferrie Times to a small raggle taggle crew, the responsibility to convey his vision and uphold his ideals was extremely motivating.

Of course, as anyone who knew him would contest, working for Leon could also involve a lot of eye-rolling frustration. Many were the times that at the eleventh hour, Leon would brainstorm a ‘new exciting idea’ for a story in the newsletter that would mean a frantic rush to rearrange and cram the latest brainwave into an already overstuffed paper. Failing that, heated debates punctuated with cries of “Oh, come on!!” would ring out inside our tiny office space, which in itself is as eccentric as Leon was. Think an MC Escher painting, complete with staircases leading nowhere, never-opened-doors that likely opened onto just more doors, cupboards filled with flotsam and quite a bit of jetsam, and a collection of antiquated technology that would have Alexander Graham Bell asking “isn’t that a bit old fashioned?” 

Complete with an upside-down clock stuck on 12:45, an abacus, a steel crocodile perched above a bookshelf sagging with tomes long ago made redundant by the internet, it is a space that somehow perfectly captured the bohemian side of Leon’s nature. Indeed, Leon redefined what many would think a successful business man might look like. He demonstrated no signs of vanity or greed, yet he had very high standards for himself in his work and in his personal interactions. Watching him undertake both was an education in betterment of oneself.

Unsurprisingly, Leon expected similar standards in others, occasionally leading to terse and frustrated encounters. He could be an agent provocateur, a best pal, a stubborn old crank, a source of wisdom and even comfort. Of course, this would all depended a lot on whether one was meeting his standards. Once you understood the expectation, time spent in Leon’s company could be phenomenal. Above all else, laughter is the sound I most associate with Leon’s memory. If it is truly the best medicine, for all the good humour he gave, I might never fall ill again. 

By Leigh Salter