David Alexander Leaf, 73, of Manhattan Beach, California, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with his wife at his side.

David was born December 22, 1952, in Manhattan, Kansas, the second of three children born to Boris and Genevieve Leaf. He graduated from SUNY at Buffalo with a B.A. in biology, in New York. Upon graduation he attended the University of Arizona in Tucson where he studied wildlife management. He received a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Washington in Seattle followed by an internship/residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland Oregon. He has a Master of Public Health degree and is a published author, Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, former Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at UCLA Medical Center and was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the specialty of Internal Medicine. He finished his career as a medical professional at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

He married Eileen Leaf on November 21, 2014, at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in Beverly Hills, California.

Dave loved to run and participated in many marathons including several 100 mile marathons. One of his treasured memories was long distance running with the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. His other passion was music; he played guitar and sang songs at the Manhattan Beach Home Town Fair and the El Segundo farmer’s market but his favorite was entertaining seniors at Sunrise in Hermosa Beach where he volunteered weekly became a highlight for many of its residents.

When asked what message he would like to leave behind, Dave thought and said, “Enjoy Life!”

He is survived by his son, Marlon Holden of Irvine his grandson Wyatt; daughter Chanel (Matthew) Caplan of Mill Valley their daughter Alex and son Chad Leaf of Palos Verdes; his brother, Michael Leaf of British Columbia and sister, Evelyn Leaf of British Columbia. He was preceded in death by his parents Boris and Genevieve Leaf.

A private burial will take place at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the

American Cancer Society.