Leonard Ivan Compton was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1935, to Perry Edward Compton and Nancy Ellen Cody Compton in Maryville, Tennessee, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. As a boy, he loved fishing, hunting, and spending time in the mountains. A natural athlete, he earned varsity letters in basketball, football, baseball, and golf, and once set a high school record scoring 53 points during a basketball game.

While in high school, Leonard began working in a drug store to make extra money and found his love of helping people through the pharmacy profession. He said he came by it honestly because his mother, grandmother, and grandfather were all well-versed in the arts of healing with herbs and roots to make medicines and poultices for various ailments.

Leonard received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and moved to Memphis. During that time, he joined the Army National Guard, where he was a medic. While in college, he began working for Walgreens. He met the beautiful Dorothy Warren and became smitten. Luckily for him, it was mutual. She said "yes" and they made Memphis their home.

Dr. Compton's accomplishments with UT, Walgreens, and pharmacy were far too numerous to list. A few of which he was most proud included the Tom C. Sharp Pharmacist of the Year award, given for outstanding service to profession and patients, and the Shelby Rhinehart Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award. He was the first chain store pharmacist to receive the Pharmacist of the Year award during the then-108 year history of the TPA. The public service award was special to him because he got into pharmacy to build relationships and communities.

Dr. Compton was a great supporter of the UTHSC College of Pharmacy and the UT Alumni Association. He was the 1998 recipient of the Distinguished Service to Pharmacy Award and the 2002 recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Award. Dr. Compton served on the UTAA Board of Governors, UTHSC College of Pharmacy Alumni Board of Directors, and the UTHSC Feurt Committee. He was appointed by the Governor to the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy.

While his awards in the pharmacy world were plentiful, he also racked up numerous awards at another venue: the golf course. A scratch golfer in his prime, Leonard was a formidable opponent who enjoyed sharing his love of golf with others. He was a regular player in the annual Danny Thomas St. Jude Classic Pro-Am, now the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and he thoroughly enjoyed every game, especially when he defeated the pros.

He and Dottye went to Hot Springs for their honeymoon. They returned on their anniversary each year. One of their great pleasures was going to Oaklawn and watching the horse races with friends.

As much as Leonard loved his work and golf, he loved his family and friends most. He and Dottye had one daughter, Cindy, also a UT graduate. She shared her dad's love of sports and even bested him on the golf course a time or two. Longtime pug lovers, it was common to see a pug or two running around outside or, more commonly, across a lap, while cheering on the Vols during whatever sport was in season.

Cindy and her partner, Malissa, moved in to help care for Leonard after the love of his life died in January 2018. He had been looking forward to being reunited with her since the day she left, and he is now happily in her arms once again. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the Leonard and Dottye Compton Scholarship Endowment at giving.uthsc.edu/compton or a charity of the donor's choice.