Star, Leonard

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Leonard J. Star on Oct. 16, 2026. Leonard, of Hudson, Ohio, was born in New York City on Feb. 15, 1933, and moved to Fredonia as a child. He spent most of his life there. After graduating from Fredonia High School, he earned a business degree from the University of Rochester and a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan State University. He returned home and began his career at Alcoa in Dunkirk. He later joined the family business, Fredonia Products, which became Cliffstar Corporation. Cliffstar grew into one of the largest juice processing companies in the United States and one of the largest employers in Western New York. In 1985, Leonard retired from Cliffstar and founded L.J. Star, Inc. with his son, David in 1991. The business later moved to Twinsburg and grew successfully under his and David’s leadership. Leonard continued to work in the office well into his 90s, offering thoughtful expertise to his colleagues.

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