A lifelong Catholic, Leonard John “Buzzy” Gittinger Jr. lived his faith in every aspect of his life.
Practicing law in San Antonio for more than 60 years, Gittinger “helped a lot of people,” said his son, Leonard John Gittinger III. “He had some big business clients, then he helped the little guys, anybody who came in and needed help; a lot of them couldn’t pay a fee so he did it for free.”
Attending Mass at several churches, including St. Mary Magdalen and St. Joseph downtown, Gittinger, as a member of the San Antonio Liederkranz, sang Christmas Eve High Mass for decades.
“He loved the Lord,” his son said.
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Gittinger, 85, died New Year’s Eve.
“We were married 65 years” after meeting in 1950, his wife said. “For 67 years, we never missed a New Year’s Eve together.”
Excelling in athletics from an early age, Gittinger attended Central Catholic High School, where he played football, baseball and basketball, ran track and was an ROTC cadet.
Graduating with honors in 1949, Gittinger then attended St. Mary’s University where he played both baseball and basketball for the Rattlers.
Gittinger earned a bachelor’s degree in business before going on to graduate from what is now St. Mary’s School of Law in 1955.
Commissioned into the Army the same year, Gittinger was assigned to field artillery before transferring to the JAG, or Judge Advocate General's Corps, first at Fort Riley, Kansas, and then Fort Sam Houston.
Honorably discharged while at Fort Sam in 1959, Gittinger practiced with a partner before opening the Law Offices of Leonard J. Gittinger, Jr. PC in the mid-1960s.
In civilian life Gittinger specialized in real estate, construction and business law, leaving criminal law behind after leaving the Army.
“His daddy had been a criminal attorney and a judge,” said his wife, Jo Ann Gittinger. “He (his dad) spent many a sleepless night tossing and turning for the cases he prosecuted.”
Joining the San Antonio Liederkranz in 1962, Gittinger became an enthusiastic recruiter for the singing group.
“He joined when there were seven or eight members,” his wife said. “His uncle talked him into joining and he loved it, started getting his friends to come in; it grew … to 50 men.”
But as busy as he was, Gittinger always made time for his family, working with his children in his practice and spending time with his wife.
mheidbrink@express-news.net