Past National Officer Leo Root passed away on July 22, 2025. He was born on July 23, 1943 and lived in Atkinson, NH. Leo began his career as a rural carrier in New Hampshire in 1975, and was appointed a local steward the very same year. The following year he became an area steward, was elected the state treasurer in 1977, and in 1979 was elected the New Hampshire State Steward, a position he held until 1986.
In January 1986, he was appointed by then-President Griffith and the National Board to fill the position of Executive Committeeman brought about by the retirement of Jonas Walmer and served with distinction as the Representative for both the Eastern and Northeast Regions.
He was elected four-year Executive Committeeman at the 82nd National Convention in Des Moines, Iowa in 1986 and served as Executive Committeeman until 1992 when he was elected Director of Labor Relations at the 88th National Convention in Tulsa, OK. Leo served as Director of Labor Relations for five years until he was elected Vice President at the 93rd National Convention in Portland, OR in 1997, and served a 1-year term as Vice President. He retired from the Postal Service in November 1999 and maintained his membership as a retired carrier in Nevada.
During his tenure as Director of Labor Relations, Leo did much to change and improve steward training, as he believed it is essential that the NRLCA have well-trained, well-informed stewards to properly represent our members. He navigated constant changes to our National Agreement, postal manuals, handbooks, and policies, and worked hard to educate our members.
Leo was a strong and active supporter of the Quality of Work Life/Employee Involvement (QWL/EI) Process since its beginning, spending several years on the National Joint Steering Committee and serving as co-chair at the Northeast Region Joint Steering Committee.
Leo was a great man and stood for the best for all of us. His wife Ilse said, “Leo loved the NRLCA.” The NRLCA and all of its members meant everything to Leo, and those of us privileged to learn from him know it best.
