LEYES, Brian J Leyes - 11 January, 1942 – 17 August, 2024

Passed away peacefully on August 17th, 2024 at the age of 82, with his family and dedicated caregivers at his side. Beloved husband of Sami for nearly 54 years, and loving father to Christian (Emily), Mike (Jen) and Josh (Laura). Special Grandpa to Brady, Myanna, Brody, Colton, Gage, Lola & Paisley. Brian will be deeply missed by the Leyes and Honda families and his many nieces and nephews. Brian was born in Kitchener, Ontario on January 11th, 1942 to Leo and Josephine Leyes (nee Hoffarth). Predeceased by his parents and older brother Paul.

A true entrepreneur, Brian blazed a trail and moved to Oshawa, Ontario in 1962 to open the first pizza stores in the city. Pepi’s Pizza had 5 locations across the Durham Region over the next 20 years and had a large impact on popularizing pizza in the area. Due to ongoing health issues, Brian retired from the pizza business in the early 1980s.

Brian spent his remaining years a dedicated family man, giving back to the community whenever and wherever he could. Whether he was taking his sons on road trips to baseball stadiums across America, hosting countless social gatherings with Sami, or volunteering for the Arthritis Society, and running their charity bingo games, Brian always did right by people, making a positive impact wherever he went.

In his remaining years, Brian moved to the Village of Taunton Mills. Despite his deteriorating physical health, Brian always had a positive outlook and did the absolute best with the hand he was dealt. He continued his passion for business and started managing the General Store at Taunton Mills. His desire to follow his passion and serve people didn’t go unnoticed, as he received the Ontario senior achievement award in 2018. Many thanks to the compassionate and dedicated staff at Taunton Mills for their loving care and support.

In accordance with Brian's wishes, instead of a funeral, a celebration of life will be held at Courtice Funeral Chapel on Saturday, Sept. 7th from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm, with tributes commencing at 2:00 pm. The Chapel is located at 1587 Durham Regional Hwy 2, Courtice, L1E 2R7. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation to a charity of your choice.