Man of the people: former principal mourned
The Taylor community is mourning the loss of T.H. Johnson Elementary School’s first leader.
Ivan Leschber made a lasting impression on those who worked with him as someone who was loving, kind and respectful as principal for the previous Twelfth Street Elementary School and THJ.
Leschber passed away Sunday, Oct. 15, a few days after his 90th birthday. The Taylor Independent School District’s board of trustees spoke about him the next day at their meeting.
“They don’t make them like Ivan anymore,” Trustee Marilyn Tennill said.
Tennill said Leschber died at the exact same time and day of the week as his wife Barbara Leschber did in August. She was also a longtime employee of Taylor ISD and her death was precisely seven weeks before his.
Ivan Leschber (top left) poses with teacher Mary Lu Haase (bottom left) and her fourth grade class. Leschber’s secretary, Belinda Nira-Munoz, is on the right-hand side. Photo courtesy of Belinda Nira-Munoz
He started his career in 1958 and came to Taylor in 1972. He was principal at Twelfth Street School from 1972 to 1983 and at THJ from 1983 when the school opened until 1994.
Former colleagues remember him as an empathetic leader.
“He was a down-toearth man,” said Belinda Nira-Munoz, who worked as Leschber’s secretary for many years. “If you were a student, he became a student. If you were a teacher, he became a teacher. If you were a custodian, it was nothing for him to pick up a mop or broom and help.”
Nira-Munoz said Leschber led passionately whenever it was time to lead.
However, she said Leschber did not act like an authoritative boss. Instead, he acted like an equal to whoever he was cooperating with.
“He was a people-person,” Nira-Munoz. “Not just a people-person, but he loved life. He loved people. It didn’t matter what color, how tall, how big or how skinny, he was just kind.”
Leschber also wore different hats throughout his career, including bus driver, event organizer and even taught driver’s education classes for the school district. Prior to becoming a principal, he coached basketball.
“He did it all, from A to Z,” Nira-Munoz said.
During his time as principal, Leschber helped organize the concession stand at the annual THJ track meets at Memorial Field. Pat Alderete, who worked as a teacher under Leschber, said he would pay for the food and used proceeds to give incentives or items of need to students.
“Mr. Leschber was the best,” Alderete said. “He cared about the kids. Anything he did went back to the kids.”
Leschber was also known for his annual tradition of taking the students and staff to San Antonio during the summer. Alderete described the trips as one of the ways the former principal tried to give the kids great memories.
“Those days we would go all day long, from seven in the morning to eight o’clock at night,” Alderete said. “We would take about four buses full of kids to San Antonio. We would just have the time of our lives.”
While being the principal during a time of transition would seem to bring challenges, Alderete said Leschber handled it gracefully. She said it came naturally to him.
Today, THJ holds pre-K3 through kindergarten students.
Ivan Leschber (sitting on cooler) is described as someone who could “get along with anybody.” Photo courtesy of Belinda Nira-Munoz
