John Leigh, 63, city planner worked in Boston, across globe
John Richard Leigh, an Allston native and a former official of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, died Nov. 1 of heart failure at Baltimore-Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Md. He was 63.
Mr. Leigh was born and raised in Allston and graduated from Boston English High School in 1962. He received a bachelor's degree in geography from Boston University in 1968. Starting in 1969, he served a year as a combat engineer in Vietnam.
After his return, he spent a year as an assistant planner for the city of Newton, preparing reports on land use, housing, building conditions, and parking. In 1971, he worked in a similar position for the city of Waltham for a year. Mr. Leigh then spent a year in Guam, as a senior planner for the Pacific island's territorial planning commission. There he authored and edited reports on Guam's development and proposals for land use.
In 1975, he became a city planner for the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority and in the next two years, worked on rewriting the city's master plan, parks and open space plan, and zoning ordinances. From 1977 to 1979, Mr. Leigh served the North Shore Economic Council in Salem and developed and implemented a program to provide technical and financial assistance for 350 small businesses.
In 1979, he began working in Gloucester, serving in various urban development positions until 1986. During that period Mr. Leigh advised the mayor and City Council on land development and planning issues, designed and helped with construction of industrial parks, and oversaw federal and state grants awarded to the city.
In 1981, he received a master's degree in city and regional planning from Harvard University.
Mr. Leigh then served for three years as director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority's HarborPark program, supervising a professional staff responsible for development along the Boston waterfront. He also headed redevelopment for the Charlestown Navy Yard.
From 1989 to 1991, he worked in San Francisco as a project development specialist at Bechtel Corp., developing a plan for the Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire, designing harbor improvements for the Port of Saipan, and conducting market surveys and development analyses for a new town in Thailand. Mr. Leigh also created a regional development plan for New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, Japan, and for another new airport near Seoul.
Mr. Leigh moved his family to Severna Park, Md., in 1991. At the time of his death, he worked for the US Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment in Washington, D.C. He spearheaded projects at the former Fort Devens and the naval air station is South Weymouth.
David Larson, deputy director of the Defense Department's office of economic adjustment, said Mr. Leigh "had the impressive ability to work with state and local officials anywhere."
"He was a natural; very well prepared and very knowledgeable," he said.
Mr. Leigh was an avid Red Sox and New England Patriots fan and considered Ted Williams his sports hero, said Alice, his wife of 32 years. He also enjoyed fishing, building model trains, golfing, reading, and traveling.
In addition to his wife, he leaves a son, C.J. of Severna Park, Md.; a daughter, Katie of Safety Harbor, Fla.; and two grandchildren.
Services have been held. 