John Irwin Rector was the Gertrude Stein of Rhode Island. He may not have written impossible books, but for two decades he did host the state’s greatest salon, and you didn’t have to be a famous painter or writer to attend — you just had to walk in the door.
John came to Providence from Michigan to attend Brown University, where he graduated in 1971 with a degree in American Civilization. While an undergraduate, he worked at the Grad Center Bar, and eventually became its manager. The bargain-priced beers and great bands he booked attracted what John called “interesting characters” from Brown and RISD. Rich Lupo, the Scrabble genius, film producer, and eponymous club owner, worked as a bouncer there, allegedly in return for three Heinekens per shift.
In 1974 John and a friend opened Leo’s on Chestnut Street, when it was a scary dead zone at night, not the now-vaunted “Jewelry District.” They salvaged and restored the oldest mahogany bar in the state from McGovern’s on Smith Hill, and uniquely commissioned artists to make tiles for the tables (Connie Leslie), a fiberglass dinosaur head (Fish Wells), glass art in the back door (Ed McIlvane), and scores of fabulous paintings.
Dan Gosch’s giant mural “What’ll It Be,” which depicted a bar-load of people, from elderly twin sisters eating hotdogs to the founder of Textron, came to represent the peaceable kingdom that was Leo’s, where diversity was king before it was a thing. Somehow John created the perfect human eco-system, with just enough rogues to keep it unpretentious, and just enough creatives to keep it kind. Bikers sat next to bankers, Buddy Cianci’s chief of staff next to a self-described “billionaire potter” next to an eccentric book dealer next to a future state senator next to a guy who claimed that someone was cutting his hair while he slept. Great artists like Aaron Siskind and Kay Ritter (who made the sculpture over the door) schmoozed with genius musicians like Paul Murphy and Mark Taber (who once broke up an argument at Leo’s by streaking the place), one table over from Projo reporters, Trinity actors, and Rudy Cheeks and Chip Young, authors of the ever-brilliant and hilarious “Philippe and Jorge’s Cool Cool World.”
John loved eccentrics, welcomed them, supported them, bailed them out of jail. There was Jeff Thomas, who claimed he could drive his car up the side of a building, and repeatedly tried. And Dan “the Maddog” Campbell, who entertained Leo’s customers from the host’s station for many years with his antics and flea-market finds. “Checkers Charlie,” a lovable local inebriate, might have died beside a dumpster if not for John, who insisted he get a free sandwich every time he tottered in, became his legal guardian, and found him housing.
At John’s insistence, Leo’s was a safe place for women out on their own, because bartenders fended off the “hey baby can I buy you a drink” crowd. And the drinks were always best-quality ingredients: freshly squeezed juices before that was a thing, classic cocktails before that was a thing. Likewise the food. Leo’s regulars still wax nostalgic about the bleu-cheese burger, the tabouli salad, the best strawberry shortcake in the nation.
Leo’s was open for nearly two decades, and only closed two days each year: Christmas (the day before which John would whip egg whites for his famous Tom and Jerry punch), and Labor Day, when he demonstrated his support for workers by recruiting customers to serve steak, lobster, and Bass ale to the employees.
In addition to to his life as a restauranteur, host, and friend, and despite many health problems, John also served as vice president of development for a time at Save the Bay, where his connections and charm made him the first person to raise over a million dollars in donations.
John is survived by his wife, Teresa Level of Pawtucket, who he married in 1983, his sister Nicki, of California, and his brother Jim, of Arizona, as well as four nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Save the Bay in John’s honor at savebay.org or Save the Bay, 100 Save the Bay Drive, Providence, RI 02905
A birthday celebration of John’s life, with live music and an AV show, will be held at The Met, 1005 Main St., #122, Pawtucket, RI on Saturday May 17th from 2 – 5 pm.
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