John I. Rector ’71

John I. Rector ’71, of Pawtucket, R.I.; Mar. 6. He was co-owner of Leo’s restaurant, a favorite haunt of many Brunonians. After working at the Grad Center Bar and eventually becoming its manager, it was only natural that John, along with a friend, would start his own place in downtown Providence. Leo’s opened in 1974, serving as a peaceful place for a diverse community. John welcomed eccentrics. He and his partner salvaged and restored an old mahogany bar from McGovern’s on Smith Hill, and commissioned artists to make tiles for the tables. Dan Gosch’s giant mural “What’ll It Be,” which depicted a bar-load of people, from elderly twin sisters eating hotdogs to the founder of Textron, came to represent the melting pot that was Leo’s. In the two decades it operated, it was closed only two days a year—Christmas Day and Labor Day.  In addition to being a restaurateur, John also served as vice president of development for Save the Bay, raising over a million dollars in donations. A birthday celebration of his life, with live music and an AV show, was held at the Met in Providence on May 17.