Maria M. (Jona) Leitner

In Remembrance of:

Maria Márta (Jóna) Leitner

Maria M. Leitner, 83, of West Chester, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 21, 2020 while being cared for by Penn Medicine Hospice of West Chester.  Maria was born in Győr, Hungary.  She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Maria (Maté) Jóna and she was the wife of Joseph F. Leitner, Sr. who passed away April 12, 2018.

Maria left Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.  She met her husband Joseph in a refugee camp in Austria shortly thereafter.  Eventually they reached their goal for a life in “The Land of Freedom and Opportunity” – U.S.A. For opportunities they could never hoped to obtain in their own homeland. 

While Maria worked at Pepperidge Farm, she found her joy in her family.  She and Joseph were married for 60 years at the time of Joseph’s passing.  Maria, loving wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great-grandmother is survived by her four children – Marika Irene Wilson (Charles), Joseph Frank Leitner, Jr. (Roberta), George Karl Leitner (Paula), and Erika Ilona DeBiasse (Bobby).  Eleven grandchildren: Amber (Rico), CJ (Abby), Elizabeth, Brittney (Jake), Joey (Sara), Erik (Shannon), Karl (Kiersten), Billy, Krista (Jared), Natalie and Jessica. Eleven great-grandchildren: Truleigh, Ashleah, Leyana, Cavin, Cullen, Corban, Lily, Dawn, Conor, Bree and Ainsley.

Visitation with family and friends will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2020 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at SS Philip and James Church, Exton, PA 19341.  Interment in St. Agnes Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 100 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.