Education and community leader Jesús Lugo Leos, 92, of Kingsville died Tuesday in Austin.

“Jesse” Leos, as he was known to his friends, colleagues and family, attended schools in Gonzales and Kingsville where he graduated from the Texas- Mexican Institute for Boys, a predecessor of what is now Presbyterian Pan American School. An Army veteran of World War II, he was wounded twice and awarded the Purple Heart and several battle stars.

After the war Leos attended The University of Texas in Austin and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in philosophy and minors in Greek and Hebrew.

Leos entered the ministry and enrolled in the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He earned the Master of Divinity degree in 1952.

Leos was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in June 1952 just weeks before his wife, Lorraine Rodriguez Leos, died unexpectedly.

With three young children, Leos went on to serve churches in Taylor, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Austin, San Benito and Kingsville. In 1971, he began his ministerial and teaching duties at Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville where he served as chaplain, teacher, administrator, advisor and mentor to the students he taught and the colleagues with whom he worked.

In 2002, the Senate of Texas honored Dr. Leos with a resolution recognizing his 50 years in the ministry. After his retirement, he continued teaching parttime at Presbyterian Pan American School until 2008.

In late 2008, María Zulema Leos, his wife since 1955, died at age 89.

(A complete obituary notice is on Page 5A in today’s edition)