Leighton Longhi, a big man in every sense of the word, died at home on August 22, 2024, with Rosemarie, his beloved wife of more than fifty years, at his side.
A prominent dealer of Japanese art, he became a recognized expert in Japanese arms and armor, and Yale was a major beneficiary of his knowledge. He was named a Sterling Fellow for his work in expanding the Yale Art Gallery’s Asian holdings, placing 60 Japanese masterpieces in the University’s collection.
“My roommate Bob Greenlee was friendly with Leighton, “says Barry Bardo. “Both were very big guys. One day, Bob had just returned from riding his powerful Harley Davidson down High Street next to Leighton, who was riding his BMW R69S, also a formidable bike. Yale basketball statistics listed Leighton as 6’5”, but Bob insisted Leighton was at least 6’6”, maybe taller. Bob said that riding on his BMW, Leighton “looked like a bear on a thumbtack.”
“I really only got to know Leighton after Yale,” says Whit Conrad. “Shortly after graduation I was on vacation with my parents on Captiva Island, FL. By happenstance Leighton was there as well. My mother was an artist and took one look at Leighton on the beach and commented ‘What a beautiful human man!” and proceeded to sketch him over and over. Leighton loved it. He was indeed a remarkable man.
“Skipping ahead, Leighton and I lived in neighboring buildings on 5th Ave and we used to see each other on dog walking evenings and had long chats about just about everything on a regular basis. He was a kind, gentle, intelligent person and will be sorely missed.”
“On Christmas Day 1974 my daughter was born,” says Charlie Von Stade. “I saw her for only a minute as she was whisked away to the neonatal care unit. She was in deep respiratory distress, being born slightly early with a case of Hyaline Membrane disease. As I waited for my wife to be released from the hospital I was staying with my in-laws. They could talk of nothing but how the little Kennedy boy had died of what my daughter had.
“I had placed a call to Leighton and Rosemarie and left a message about the early birth and that it was a girl. They called me back and, noting my distress, insisted that I join them for a meal and a movie. Though I can’t remember the meal, the movie was Mel Brooks’ ‘Young Frankenstein.’ It was the perfect prescription for alleviating my dark mood.
“Many years later, these wonderful people attended that little Christmas baby’s both Yale and Columbia P&S graduations.”