1953 — 2023
Leslie Jay Schroeder died peacefully at his home in San Francisco on April 13, 2023, surrounded by friends and family. Les' life was cut short by a rare and aggressive disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, diagnosed in January 2023.
Les is survived by his husband, Jim Winslow; his sisters Kathy Schroeder (Jody Johnson) and Terry Inselmann; in-laws Joe Winslow (Sheila), Ann Winslow, and Rachel Planks (Daryl); mother-in-law Barbara Winslow; aunt-in-law Lois Trostle; five nieces (Lauren, Carly, Katie, Evy, Bella); and three nephews (Ryan, Andre, Caleb). Les is also survived by his biological daughter Harper Tracy and her two moms, Jess and Jill.
Born in Galveston, Texas, and raised in La Marque, Texas, Les earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Baylor University and a Master of Science degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington.
In 1980, Les moved to San Francisco, settling in the Castro district and then Bernal Heights.
Les began his nearly 30-year career in compensation and benefits with Pacific Bell, working in San Francisco then in the East Bay from 1986, during which time he lived in Orinda for 13 years before returning to San Francisco.
After 17 years with Pacific Bell, Les worked for LifeScan/Johnson & Johnson, Intuit, Genentech, Restoration Hardware, and SRI. In 2012 Les took a position with Fujitsu in Munich, Germany — and Les immersed himself in learning German. Les and Jim would split their time between San Francisco and Munich before moving to Berlin in 2017.
As an early member of San Francisco FrontRunners and the Bay Area Distance Runners, Les completed 34 marathons, numerous triathlons, and competed in several Gay Games around the world. Les equally enjoyed yoga frequenting classes in San Francisco and Berlin as well as tending to his garden.
An avid cyclist, Les completed the 545-mile California AIDS Ride and AIDS/LifeCycle (from San Francisco to Los Angeles) 15 times, raising thousands of dollars for AIDS charities. Les and Jim twice completed the 462-mile Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
Incredibly kind, generous, funny, and gentle by nature, Les had many friends around the world — as demonstrated by the outpouring of support during the final months of his life.
Les and Jim's adventures took them to nearly every country in Europe as well as points in Africa and Asia. Les also volunteered with the Contra Costa County AIDS Task Force.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Horizons Foundation in his memory. There will be a virtual gathering to celebrate Les' life in May (email [email protected] for information).
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