Allen Leydecker is no longer with us.
He died at age 84, on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Santa Barbara, Calif., following a long hospital stay.
With him at the time of his death was his significant other, Valerie Ellis.
Al and Valerie had been together for about 35 years, after beginning their relationship in Mariposa.
Allen (Al) grew up in Maspeth, Queens, N.Y., where he attended Brooklyn Tech High School (a prestigious school for boys with above average grades) and City College of New York (where he was on the wrestling team).
Al enjoyed swimming, kayaking, hiking and biking. He was once a boy scout leader and also a member of the YULA Slavic/ Russian folk-dancing group in New York.
In the early 1960s, Al joined the U.S. Army where he worked as a Missile Technician.
Al went on to receive a BA from NYU, his MA in Engineering from University of Tennessee and a PhD in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara.
As a hydrologist, Al was involved in water purification. His volunteer work included surveys of water quality in the Sierra and elsewhere. In the early 70s, Al helped develop ski trails in the Fish Camp area and wetlands for migrating birds in Modoc County.
Al will be deeply missed by Valerie and his little Pomeranian dog, Hannah, as well as by his longtime Brooklyn friends, Carl, Janek, Pete and Sonya.
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