Remembering Our Colleague Sergio Leonardo
Dear Chargers,
I am writing to honor and remember our colleague, Sergio Leonardo. Sergio suffered a medical emergency and passed away suddenly at home on the evening of Friday, March 22, 2024. He served Cypress College for 28 years, most recently as our grounds coordinator.
A viewing and rosary will be held on April 15, 2024, with a mass and interment on April 16, 2024. Information about these services is available at this link. An on-campus memorial is also being planned.
Director of Physical Plant and Facilities, Phil Fleming, said “Sergio was a stellar individual who took good care of his family and now adult children. He was a friend to all of us and provided outstanding workmanship for the entire Cypress College campus we serve.”
Sergio joined Cypress College in 1996 as an hourly custodian. He was promoted to a groundskeeper in 1997 and promoted again into his most-recent position in 2017. He led a team that cares for the campus grounds as if it were their own front yard. Notably, Sergio and crew help prepare the campus each year for commencement — from the grounds to the staging plants and flowers.
Sergio, who was born and raised locally, is survived by his children, Noah, 21, and Ashlee,18, and by his brother, Victor Leonardo, who is a night-shift custodian here on campus.
On behalf of Cypress College, I offer our sincere condolences in this time of great sorrow.
Sincerely,
Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D.
President
Cypress College