Leandro P. Soto was born in Los Angeles on March 11, 1921. His father was a native of Jalisco, Mexico and his mother was a waitress in Casa Blanca, CA. At the age of six, Soto began to work as a shoe shiner and later became a farm worker picking fruit in the San Joaquin Valley. He received a B.A. from Fresno State and a Master’s Degree from St. Mary’s. On March 13, 1965 Soto, along with Herman Gallegos and James McAllister founded Arriba Juntos, a non-profit agency devoted to helping Latino immigrants. Soto also co-founded Horizons Unlimited in 1964 – a pivotal organization for the youth of the Mission. To this day, both agencies continue to serve Mission district residents and beyond. Soto passed away on October 31, 2010 in Marin County. He is survived by his wife Lily his daughter Lorena and granddaughter Lucero.
A service will be held on Wed., December 15, 2010 at 5:00 pm at St. Paul’s Catholic Church located at 221 Valley Street, San Francisco.. A dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m. at Patio Español, 2850 Alemany Blvd. Please RSVP to Jim Kennedy 415-285-9555.