Leonard Eugene Carmella, 64, of Zellwood, Florida, passed away August 18, 2018. He was born July 29, 1954 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mr. Carmella is preceded in death by his sister Christine Puskas. He is survived by his loving wife Karen Sue Carmella; son L. Eoghan (Natasha) Carmella of Wales; sister Lenna C. Lipman and several nieces and nephews.
Celebration of Life
Kat’s Vine & Tap
1061 W. Orange Blossom Trail
Apopka, Fl 32712
(In Victoria’s Plaza)
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Starting at 6:30PM/Music & Art Show at 7:30
This heritage started 67 years ago with Pastor Herbert F. Loomis, who founded the First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1934. In 1938 Francis E. Loomis, son of Pastor Herbert F. Loomis, received his license to practice Mortuary Science and in 1941 established Loomis Funeral Home of Winter Garden, FL. 
420 W Main St
Apopka, FL 32712-3452
Debra Barry says
Lenny will always be in the hearts of his friends and colleagues at The Loyola News in Montreal. A genius at satirical graphics. He was a bright light that shared his art every week with the community at Loyola.
I enjoyed our political debates on Facebook lately.
Lenny was a rare soul and I was blessed to know him for a while. Gone too soon.
Debra Barry says
Lenny will always be in the hearts of his friends and colleagues at The Loyola News in Montreal. A genius at satirical graphics. He was a bright light that shared his art every week with the community at Loyola.
I enjoyed our political debates on Facebook lately.
Lenny was a rare soul and I was blessed to know him for a while. Gone too soon. Condolences to his family.
Joe Weber says
Lenny was much liked at St. Joseph’s High School in New Jersey, where he was our Student Council president for the class of ’72. He was a lively, funny character around campus, a Groucho Marx-iike figure who brought cleverness and wit to all he did. His artistic skills were apparent even then. I recall vividly when his longtime friend from elementary school, Gary Covino, and I talked about how infuriating Leny found the “smiley” faces then growing popular. They took no skill to create, he argued, unlike the work he did, and yet they were inexplicably popular. Drove him nuts.
Lenny continued to be a character. When we reconnected on Facebook in recent years, he would often comment on posts dealing with Trump, whom he supported while so many others on my feed did not. Sometimes, his comments were outrageous, so much so that I trimmed them out (the foul ones). But he felt passionately about things and this was one example. Most of his comments were worth keeping on because they offered some insight into how Trumpanistas see the world.
Lenny’s view of the world, I think, was that of someone from modest beginnings — his dad was a cobbler, as I recall — who went on to great success in a creative field. He likely had to fight his way up, probably battling a few personal demons along the way, and I admired him for that.
It’s notable that among our high school friends on FB, all have weighed in with shock and sadness at his passing. He’ll be missed. I, for one, had much looked forward to reconnecting at an upcoming reunion, perhaps the 50th. I am sad that that will not happen now. My condolences to his family.
Joe Weber
Debbie Fecht says
Karen so sorry to hear of your beloved husband. I hope your wonderful memories will help while you grieve. You are in our prayers
David Krozier says
Lenny is certainly remembered by his St. Joe’s classmates. My condolences to his family.
Stephen G Dailey says
When I left St. Joe’s, there were dozens of Lenny “stories” that I had experienced simply by watching him. He was a gift to my life back then, for he did not fit the conventional mode of a popular teen. For me He defined the term irrepressible like no other person I have ever known. I am certain he carried that through his entire life. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Walter F. Baumgarten says
I cannot see a picture of Groucho Marx without thinking of Lenny. Lenny was arguably the Class of 1972 Character, Mascot, and Most Beloved of all of us all rolled into one. While I am grieved to hear of his passing, I take solace in my belief that the Lord God will rejoice at Lenny’s entrance to His realm. Godspeed Lenny, I was privileged to have enjoyed four years at Saint Jo’s with you. Be thou at peace and save a spot for me.
Alan cherepon says
Very sad of the passing of Lenny, and even more that was a Trump supporter. I think Mr. Shreck with think him a good, solid American. Had lots of fun talks with Lenny in St. Joe’s, and recall one story about his dad having a saying. If some told him something was good and he disagreed, or was skeptical, in a typical NJ response, he would say “Is it good? If it is, stick it up your Kirsten. Good things can’t hurt.” Always ready with a joke. We’ll miss you, Lenny.
John Anderson says
My condolences to the family and friends especially Lenna, my classmate at Sacred Heart. May your memories bring a smile to your face.
John Anderson says
My condolences to the family and friends especially Lenna, my classmate at Sacred Heart. May your memories bring a smile to your faces.
Ken Ernhofer says
I met Lenny in the 1972-1973, when I was the editor of The Loyola News, his college newspaper at Loyola College in Montreal. He was a whirlwind, a breath of fresh air, a real character, and a whole lot of fun. He did cartoons, caricatures, and satire for the newspaper, and to say they were cutting-edge is not the half of it. He did a Groucho Marx impersonation with a wagging cigar that was incredible, once at a show with professional wrestlers who tossed him out of the ring. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing. He was too young. All his friends from his university days are shattered, but we were lucky and are happy to have known him. My deepest condolences to his family. We will all miss Lenny.
Ned Gentz says
I had the pleasure of being friends with Lenny through grammar school at Sacred Heart in New Brunswick as well in high school at St Joe’s. I realize this is belated but Don Basso just told me about Lenny’s passing this am. My condolences to his family. Very sad news indeed.
David Leonardo says
I stole Lenny’s talent from the Loyola News for the campus humour newspaper, The Runamuck, the one that put Father Malone on the cover naked. His full page cartoon strip of Cheeks Maguire was always eagerly awaited for by campus readers, and it was the strongest feature we published.
On both the News and Runamuck we learned the craft on our own, before journalism schools came to Quebec. And I was learning how to, or how not to, publish newspapers, that launched me into a 40-year career.
A valuable libel lesson came from Lenny when I threw his cartoon into the pages for the press without looking at the content. He had printed names of real people at the college in the cartoon strip with roles based on the movie, The Exorcist.
Nothing came of it after I promised to stop the publication, but it gave me some of the grit I have for all the libel suits since.
For a physically small man, he certainly could fill up a room, and he will be missed
David Leonardo
Nuns’ Island
Ted Kerin says
David, thanks for sharing the fun story of the “Exorcist” parody cartoon and the threatened litigation at Loyola — there are countless “Lenny stories” and that’s one of my favorites. Although Lenny conceived and wrote the piece, and of course was a fine cartoonist himself, the “Exorcist” cartoon was actually drawn by me, in a late-night session during one of my visits to Montreal. Lenny and I were friends in grammar school and high school, we both drew cartoons, and whenever I visited, there came a certain point in the celebrations when the art supplies came out, and that cartoon was a product of these. (Lenny coined the publication label “Idiot’s Delite” for these joint productions.) Anyway it was published after I went back to Notre Dame, and later I heard the story of how the woman who “starred” in it was enraged when she saw it, and wanted to sue Lenny. She had a point — — she was Father Malone’s assistant, and we were so insane that we used her real name in some pretty outrageous images. Then when Lenny told her that it was drawn by me, she lost all interest in litigation — she didn’t want to sue some other idiot kid from New Jersey, she really wanted to sue just LENNY. We aren’t often privileged in life to know a truly larger than life character, and one with such great heart and humor, as well as talent and intelligence. Lenny will be missed.
Ted Kerin says
I don’t know if this page allows links, but I’ll give it a try. For anyone interested, here’s a home-made video remembrance that was shown at Lenny’s “Celebration of Life” gathering of family and friends in Florida, in October. Some fun clips of Lenny through the years (it’s about 15 minutes):
https://vimeo.com/293957187/a6987f1169
Also shown was this video slideshow, with music (about 3 minutes):
https://vimeo.com/293957142/8b56481fac
Lenny was certainly one of a kind. He will be missed.