Born 20 October 1914 in Riga to Lithuanian parents. He graduated Riga High School in 1934 and
then attended the Kaunas War School graduating in 1937 in Physical Education. He
became interested in basketball in 1935 when he met with Lithuanian basketball coach
from America, Konstantinas Savickas. At 6 foot 4 his height was an advantage and by
1936 he became a member of the Lithuanian National basketball team. During his four years on the team he played
17 games and scored 31 points. He played
on the Central Junior Sports Organization (CJSO) team.
From 1937 to 1944 he was the Head of the Lithuanian Ball
Games Basketball and Volleyball Teams. He prepared the Kaunas national Basketball teams
for competition with the USSR in an eight city competition in 1941.
Leonas became a member of the gold winning Lithuanian
National Basketball team, European championships held in Riga 1937 and in
Kaunas two years later in 1939.
Towards the end of 1944, he fled to Germany. While residing in Displaced Persons camps,
Leonas was still very much active in basketball, volleyball, athletics and
swimming in the Čiurlionis Sports team.
He arrived in Australia on the General Stewart on 13 April
1949.
Leonas continued his sporting interest in Australia where he
was a great volleyball player. He is a
life member of the Victorian Volleyball Association and was at one time coach
of the Victorian Volleyball Squad and also president of the Victorian Volleyball
Association.
The Lithuanian Physical Education and Sports Governing body
in Germany FASKAS appointed Leonas as its representative in Australia. He contacted other Lithuanian sportsmen in
Australia and united them into one national sporting body. He organised the first Australian Lithuanian
Sports festival held in Melbourne in 1950.
Leonas resigned as the representative of FASKAS in 1951 and three years
later the Australian Lithuanian Physical development Association ALFAS was
born. He instigated the first Lithuanian Sports Club in Australia, Melbourne
Varpas. He was committed to the team and coached basketball and volleyball. In
1955 he was elected Chairman of the Australian Lithuanian Physical Education
Association.
From 1949 to 1953 he was Victorian State team basketball
coach and player in 1955 Australian National Basketball team coach. Later he worked at a lecturer at Swinburne Technical
School in Hawthorn, Physical Education and Department of Sports.
Was a member of the Čiurlionis Ensemble and in Australia,
he and former members founded the Melbourne Lithuanian choir.
In retirement he edited a book on Lithuanian athletes in
Australia 1949-1979.
He died on 20 April 1993 in Melbourne.
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