The Rev. Leslie Anthony Branch was chaplain, lieutenant, a retired member of the U.S. Navy and priest in the Archdiocese of Washington. He was a part of the O’boyle Residence for Retired Priests at Carroll Manor Nursing home in the District. After a long illness, Fr. Branch died on June 22, 2009 at the Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley. He was 66.
In 1953, the family joined the parish of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, where Branch eventually became an alter boy. Along with his brother Raymond, they were the first Black altar boys in the parish. Branch later said his first mass at St. Martin’s.
His grade school education took place at Lucretia Mott Elementary before his matriculation in the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Washington. He grew up in the Bloomingdale area of Washington, D.C. While growing up, he was a cub scout, boy scout and delivered newspapers for the Washington Star.
Following his first three years of college at Morgan State University, he began his seminary formation in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada at Resurrection College. He was then accepted for major seminary and theological studies at Mount Saint Mary Seminary in Emittsburg, Md. After his deacon year at St. Joseph Church in Landover, Md., and Our Lady Queen of Peace in Southeast Washington, he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Washington on Feb. 13, 1971. Chaplains’ Corps, the Navy’s first Black Catholic chaplain. He served at Marine Air Base in Tustin, Calif., Marine Air Group, a forward response unit in Asia and was chaplain for three operating companies and two support companies.
After assignments at St. John the Baptist, St. Francis Xavier, St. Anthony and St. Jude, Branch was released for service in the United States Navy
His last duty station was at the Naval Education and Training Center, New Port, Rhode Island, before permanent retirement with honors, effective Feb. 1, 1991, in the grade of Lieutenant.
Branch was recognized for his influence and service in 1998 as the recipient of the Mount Saint Mary’s College Founders’ Day Medal.