Leon Koziol Obituary, Utica, NY, Leon Koziol Funeral Details
Leon Koziol Obituary, Death – Leon R. Koziol, who resided in New Hartford, New York and was 65 years old at the time of his death on August 24th, 2023, passed away at home. On Easter Sunday, April 6, 1958, Leon was born in New Hartford, New York, and the people of that town provided him with numerous opportunities to lend a hand to the community there. During the course of his life, he acquired a large number of friends who became like family to him. After graduating from New York Mills High School in 1976 and continuing his studies at SUNY College of Technology, where he was elected president of the student body and delivered the commencement address at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, Leon went on to become a successful businessman.
After that, he continued his education and received a bachelor’s degree. In later years, he served on the Alumni Board of Directors, at which time he was instrumental in securing a permanent campus location in Marcy, New York. Leon received his Juris Doctor degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law after spending a total of two years working as a manufacturing supervisor at Chesebrough-Ponds in Sherburne. He then practiced law in Northern Illinois. After moving back to Utica, he opened a law practice at 1518 Genesee Street, where he remained in practice for a combined total of over twenty-three years. There, he was successful in a number of verdicts, one of which was the overturning of a contract with the Turning Stone casino that was worth one billion dollars.
This victory was achieved in both state and federal courts. His actions resulted in him being featured on the CBS show 60 Minutes and helped to the successful resolution of a class action lawsuit made against the Oneida Indian Nation covering an area of 150,000 acres and endangering the houses of thousands of landowners. The lawsuit was brought because the Oneida Indian Nation had threatened the homes of thousands of landowners. Leon served in a variety of organizations, both officially and privately, including serving as a city councillor in Utica for two terms, acting as corporate counsel, and functioning as an attorney for the Westmoreland school district.
He also served as a city councilman in Westmoreland. However, the accomplishment that he was most proud of was the fact that he was successful in securing the votes necessary to construct a new city courthouse. This was the accomplishment that he considered to be his greatest success. He presided over the committees that were in charge of the library, the zoo, and the auditorium at the institution.
