Leonard Gladstone Phillips Jr., 70, of Keswick, Virginia, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at his residence. He was born on January 6, 1956, in Mobile, Alabama, to the late Leonard Gladstone Phillips Sr. and Helen Elizabeth Dohm.

Leonard lived throughout his life in Mobile, Alabama; Fairfax, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville; and, most recently, Keswick, Virginia. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg in 1979, where he studied art and developed the creative passions that would shape his life and career.

Leonard was an accomplished artist, photographer, graphic designer, and entrepreneur whose curiosity and creativity touched countless lives. After the publishing company where he worked downsized in 1993, Leonard began freelancing. Through a series of fortunate coincidences, he began publishing the Above & Beyond Calendar and founded Gladstone Media. Over the years, the company grew to publish more than 30 calendars annually, which were sold through major bookselling chains, including Barnes & Noble, Calendar Club, and Borders, as well as independent bookstores throughout the United States and Canada.

Photography became one of Leonard's greatest artistic passions. His work appeared in numerous garden magazines, including Garden Design and Country Living Gardener, as well as in Time Life books and other beautifully illustrated publications. He was particularly passionate about aerial photography and contributed extensive ground and aerial photography to Monticello.

Leonard had an extraordinary eye for beauty and an attention to detail that could be seen in everything he created. His favorite artistic mediums were printmaking and sculpture, but photography eventually captured his heart. His patience, dedication, spontaneity, and remarkable sensitivity to light allowed him to create photographs of exceptional beauty. Even after ALS took away the use of his fingers, Leonard continued to create beautiful images from his flower photography. His determination and creativity never left him, and those who watched him work were continually amazed by what he was able to accomplish. In keeping with his desire to help others affected by ALS, Leonard donated his brain and spine to research in hopes of helping future generations better understand ALS and find more effective treatments.

Leonard also had a remarkable love of words and knowledge. He once enjoyed reading the dictionary simply for fun, earning him the affectionate nickname of a "walking encyclopedia." To those who knew him, he was like Google before there was Google—always curious, always learning, and seemingly always ready with an interesting fact or observation.

He loved the outdoors and the many adventures life offered. Leonard was an avid kayaker when kayaking was still a relatively uncommon sport, and his exceptional sense of balance eventually made him a natural equestrian. Although having horses had originally been Jeanne's dream, Leonard embraced her love of them and helped make that dream a reality by creating a pasture and barn on their property. The two spent many happy hours riding together. Even when Leonard could no longer ride, he found great joy in watching the horses from the window.

He was also an enthusiastic traveler and was always happy for an opportunity to explore somewhere new. At home, some of his simplest pleasures were watching the birds at the feeder and identifying which visitors had stopped by each morning. Leonard cherished the beauty of nature and found wonder in the world around him.

Music was another important part of Leonard's life, particularly the music of the Grateful Dead. He became a devoted Deadhead after attending his first Grateful Dead concert as a teenager with his sister. Over the years, he attended more than forty of their concerts with friends and family and continued enjoying tribute bands throughout his life. Even in his final hours, he listened to the music he loved, with a Grateful Dead emblem proudly displayed on the back of his wheelchair.

Leonard was a deeply spiritual person who cherished his family, friends, animals, and the natural world. He believed in being there for his neighbors and community and showed that belief through countless acts of kindness. He shared garden produce and chicken eggs with others, helped remove fallen trees from roads after storms, and drove shuttles on Election Day to help ensure that members of his community had access to the polls. He gave freely of his time and talents and quietly made his community a better place.

Leonard will be deeply missed by his wife, Jeanne Bruce-Phillips; his children, Danielle Gladstone Haymond and Alexander Phillips-Messner; his sister, Cathy Story and her husband, George Story; his niece, Caitlin Elizabeth Story; his cousins, David Wallace-Bruce, Ronald William Dohm, Robert Stephen Dohm, Julie West, and Kay Phillips Haney; and many extended family members and dear friends.

In addition to his parents, Leonard was preceded in death by his uncle, William Fred Dohm, and his aunt, Fannie Phillips Drown.

Leonard leaves behind a legacy of creativity, curiosity, kindness, and an abiding appreciation for the beauty of the world around him. He will be remembered not only for the extraordinary things he created, but for the way he lived—with wonder, humor, generosity, and love for the people, animals, music, and nature that brought him joy.

Plans to celebrate the life of Leonard may be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The ALS Association or Hospice of the Piedmont in Leonard's memory.

Compassionate Cremation Services of Ruckersville, Virginia is honored to serve the family.