On December 10, the PA/NJ Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation announced the passing of Dr. Bob Leffel, who with his wife Ann, helped found the Pennsylvania Chapter in 1994.  Ann passed away in 2020.

Bob was a soybean breeder for the USDA for several decades. Upon his retirement, someone gifted him trees from TACFs breeding program which he planted in 1994.

He and Ann then started breeding work in 1995, including the first crosses with the Ort tree.

Enthusiasm for restoring the American chestnut propelled Bob and his wife to become highly engaged in the mission. They would travel thousands of miles annually across PA and beyond spreading information about the work it would take to restore the species.

Their outreach work has subsequently allowed for creation of the Maryland Chapter, and decades of partnership with dozens of organizations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey including the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the research begun at Penn State in 1997.

Their work set an inspirational template for Chapter implementation within TACF.

In a personal note, Sara Fern Fitzsimmons, said, "Bob and Ann hosted me for an internship during the summer of 2000, giving me full run of their basement to use as a center of operations (except where Bob did his winemaking).

“Under their mentorship and tutelage, I traveled close to 15,000 miles to Meadowview and back, and across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other states meeting the incredible volunteers who helped make early work of the organization a success.

“The data digitization work they sponsored and supported that summer would eventually turn into dentataBase.

“I am inspired daily by people like them, and like you, who commit their time, energy, and resources to a project they know the full results of which will not come to fruition in their lifetime.

“We all know working with trees will extend beyond our lifespans, and restoration in particular takes generations to achieve.

“Bob and Ann, along with people like Dave Armstrong, Bob Summersgill, Chandis Klinger, Blair Carbaugh, and many others helped lay a sturdy foundation for the unique and productive framework of the PA/NJ Chapter, and as a result, The American Chestnut Foundation.

“Their work, along with that of those who came before and will come after, will surely achieve our collective vision of American chestnut restoration in the decades to come.”

Click Here for Dr. Leffel’s obituary.

For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the PA/NJ Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation website, Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.  Visit the Chapter YouTube Channel.  Click Here to sign up for the Chapter newsletter.  Click Here to become a member.

[Posted: December 12, 2023]

12/18/2023