Donald Leonard was a lifetime member of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and a rough and tumble Saltwater Cowboy for decades. He seemed to have been born with ponies in his blood. This is not surprising as his great-grandfather, Kendal Jester, grazed ponies in the area known as “Wildcat” on the north end of Chincoteague. As a child, Don spent a lot of time on the Beebe Ranch with Grandpa Beebe. It was during this time on the ranch that Donald first learned to gentle ponies, a fine art where, with time and patience, a relationship of mutual care, respect, and devotion develops between a man and a pony. Those who loved him knew that if he went missing, Donald could easily be found by looking for the ponies.
Donald was a restless young man, and was not very well suited for the confines of school. In his early teens he announced to his family he had no need for further formal education. “Fine,” said his father, “off you go to the (family’s) fishing boats.” Battling significant bouts of seasickness and the long and dangerous nature of being on the sea, Donald pretty quickly decided that maybe school wasn’t such a bad idea after all and returned to his studies. Sadly, Donald’s father passed away suddenly when Donald was only 16 so as soon as he finished high school, he joined the army to help support his mother and sister who continued to live on the island. His military service included time in the European Theatre at D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge during the final years of World War II.
While stationed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama he met the love of his life, Martha Moore. Herein lies an endearing tidbit indicative of Donald’s tenacity. Donald was a medic and stationed at a base hospital in Tuscaloosa. There was a dance scheduled but it was only for the patients. Martha was a student at the University of Alabama and volunteered with her sorority sisters to cheer up the patients. Not to be denied, Donald slipped on a patient’s gown, which he found in a closet, gained entry to the dance, and spent the night courting the object of his desire. He must have been a pretty good dancer because it wasn’t long after that he and Martha were engaged. Once Donald’s military obligation was complete, he and Martha married in 1946 and returned to Chincoteague.
Donald knew Chincoteague’s most famous pony Misty from the time she was a foal and he remained committed to her for many years thereafter. Martha very quickly became enamored by the Chincoteague Ponies as well, so much so that when it was decided that Misty return to Chincoteague to have her foal, Martha joined Donald on a journey to the home of Marguerite Henry in Illinois to bring Misty back to the island. As their family grew, Donald and Martha would take the children "Down the Ridge”-- now known as Ridge Road--to visit on Sundays. The adults would go inside with the Burtons and Beebes to socialize, and they'd send the kids out to play with Misty and the other ponies in the Burton’s barn, which is now the Tom's Cove Country Store. How many people can say that as children they spent their Sundays with Misty?
Donald’s passion and dedication to the Chincoteague pony herd never wavered and Martha supported him in those endeavors. Truly a team, Martha was always there for Donald, she would listen to his ideas, often agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, and perhaps, at times, sitting at their kitchen table wondering, “what have I gotten myself into?”
In the early 1960’s Donald and Martha bought their first 30 acre parcel of land on the northern reaches of Chincoteague. Not long after, the adjacent 30 acres became available and, with the help of Donald’s uncle Henry, they were able to add this to their holdings. Many thought these lands were of no real value, however, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who kept a herd of ponies in the same area some years earlier, and with the help of his son Carlton, Donald worked to clear the timber and brush and it wasn’t long before the Leonard Herd of Chincoteague ponies was settled in and thriving on these new lands.
While Donald’s enthusiasm for the Chincoteague ponies remained, it was matched with his and Martha’s commitment to the community. As their family grew, they set down a path that would lead them to becoming one of the Chincoteague families instrumental in the transition of Chincoteague from a small fishing village to a town more reliant on tourism while always striving to balance the needs for economic opportunity with a deep respect for both the natural beauty of the area and the rich cultural heritage of the island residents. Under the guidance of Wyle Maddox, Donald was one of many Chincoteague residents instrumental in petitioning the federal government for permission to build a bridge from Chincoteague to Assateague. They were successful in these efforts; with local monies and a great bit of local ingenuity the bridge was opened in 1965. Access to the unspoiled beaches of Assateague was popular from day one and remains so to this day.
During the annual event of Pony Penning, Donald took on the responsibility of working as a press agent for the Chincoteague Fire Company to help out with reporters, photographers, and others requiring special assistance during the festivities. He would take the press out on his boat for the pony swim. As part of this role, he also catered to any inquiries regarding the history of Chincoteague Island. Some described him as a cross between John Wayne and Andy Griffith-- he was well-spoken and personable, always willing to share his vast knowledge of the island and its ponies as well as his vision for the future.
Reflecting on a conversation with the family about how Donald and Martha became co-founders of the Refuge Motor Inn, their daughter Donna recalls this story : In the late 1960’s, Donald began to inquire about purchasing the property where the Refuge Inn now sits. Martha had her reservations, not only of concerns regarding funding the project but they were also raising four children at the time. However, as fate might have it, one day, as he was walking across the street, the owner of the property stopped Donald and offered him the land if he could come up with the necessary funds by 2 p.m. that same day., Switching into emergency mode, Donald was able to procure the funding and the deal was completed. Donald would often reflect that if he hadn’t been walking down the street that day, the Refuge Motor Inn may well have remained only a dream.
Having secured the land, they needed a loan for construction and furnishings. It was another chance encounter that brought their dream of a welcoming family-oriented motel on Beach Road to life. Donald put on his Sunday best to go to a mainland bank to ask for the loan, but first, on behalf of the Chincoteague Fire Company, he had to stop to speak to Mr. Wyle Maddox, a fellow Saltwater Cowboy, to see if a piece of his land could be used for the pony swim. Maddox crawled out from under the piece of heavy equipment he was repairing and queried Donald as to why he was all dressed up on a week day. Donald replied that he was going to the bank to ask for a loan with hopes of building a motel. Maddox wished him luck and told him that if the bank turned him down to please return as he might be able to be of assistance.
Given that Donald and Martha had no assets to speak of other than their land on Wildcat, which was of dubious value, and around $75 in savings, the bank turned him down. As advised, Donald went back to see Mr. Maddox. It wasn’t long thereafter that Donald and Mr. Maddox were in an attorney’s office discussing a possible loan. While the attorney felt this loan was far too risky, Mr. Maddox replied to the attorney, “I appreciate your advice and while You know the law, I know the man. I am going to loan him this money.”
Donald and Martha couldn’t make the first scheduled loan payment to Mr. Maddox but he was understanding and supportive. His faith in the Leonards was well founded. The motel became so popular those first couple of years they managed to quickly pay off the construction loan for what is now the first section of the Refuge Inn. In 1976, with the business being so successful, they decided to add on another section. This time, the bank decided they were worth the risk.
In the beginning Donald promised Martha that they would live at the new motel for no more than two years and then they would hire somebody to run it. They moved in along with their two youngest children, Donna and Arthur. Space was quite limited- the kids slept in bunk beds in a small bedroom while Donald and Martha slept on a pull-out sofa in the living room. Donald, of course, brought a few of his ponies with him to keep in a pasture at the Refuge Motor Inn. He installed gum ball machines filled with corn so visitors could feed and visit the ponies. The official story is that he thought the ponies would be a big draw to the motel but some of his family members think he simply couldn’t stand to live without his ponies nearby. The ponies have been a fixture at the Refuge Inn pasture ever since.
These were busy times for the young couple. Donald was working at the NASA base as a firefighter and kept several balls in the air with other businesses as well as devoting himself to community service projects. Martha not only helped with those community projects, but also basically ran the day to day operations of the motel. Martha and Donald worked together on all the financial aspects and Donald handled the Maintenance Department. Daughter Jane always referred to her mom as a saint with all she managed to do: secretary and treasurer of Donald’s businesses, the responsibilities at the motel, her community service work, and the raising of four children!
As it turned out, Donald and Martha’s planned two-year stay turned into a not so brief seventeen years! Their daughter Jane adds “It was a challenge indeed, and perhaps the only way they survived was as a result of the mutual love, dedication and commitment between Donald, Martha, and their exceptional staff.” Motel guests could easily see this was not simply a “family-owned business” but it was actually a “family.” Many who join the Refuge Inn team stay for many, many years. Both Denise, our front desk supervisor, and Dawn, who heads up the housekeeping team, joined our family in the 1980’s while Don and Martha were still running the inn. We are blessed to have had, and continue to have, so many devoted employees. There is no doubt they are all the primary reason our guests experience a true sense of warmth and hospitality while staying at the Refuge Inn. Helping our guests feel at home has always been a part of what we hope makes the inn special, and remains a cornerstone of our vision to this day.
In 1984, Donald and Martha started discussing retirement. They asked their daughter Jane to join them and learn the ins and outs of the business. Martha and Donald fully retired from the motel in 1990 and returned to their waterfront home - The Chincoteague Pony Farm on Leonard Lane. They turned the Refuge Motor Inn over to all four of their children- Carlton, Jane, Donna, and Arthur- who welcomed the opportunity to carry on their legacy.
Greatly influenced by their parents’ commitment to excellence and good work ethics, the transition to the new generation progressed. Carlton decided to sell his shares of the motel, investing in both the seafood industry and becoming owner of a successful tour boat business on the island. Jane began settling into the role of general manager, a role she continues to this day. She uses an attention-to-detail vision to guide improvements to every aspect of the motel, making it unique and welcoming. Like her parents, Jane served long term on important community service boards, one which brought the YMCA to the island and the other the Town’s Planning Commission. Donna has worn many hats: working at the bike shop, front desk, as well as advertising and public relations. She also owned and worked full time for her own popular tour company focused upon introducing visitors to the natural wonders in and around the islands. She was named the 2025 John White Shields Outstanding Citizen of the Year, one of Chincoteague’s Highest Honors. Arthur and his wife, Mary Esther moved into the motel with their young daughter, Cynthia, and lived there for a number of years. Arthur balanced his time at the motel with the maintenance department, caring for the Chincoteague Pony Farm herd, serving on numerous Town Committees and elected offices such as Town Councilman and Mayor and is an accomplished award winning decoy carver.
The third generation of Leonards are now active in the operation of the inn. Arthur’s daughter Cynthia, has worked at the motel for the past 10 years. While she began at the front desk and in the bike shop, she now plays an essential role in the day to day operation of the Inn, with responsibilities in many aspects of the business. Needless to say, being of this new generation, her ease with social media, computers and the internet is invaluable. She is currently the President of the Chamber of Commerce and serves on several service-oriented organizations. Carlton’s son Michael has been here for over 12 years doing a great job of managing the bike shop during the summer and working winters at the front desk or wherever else he can lend a hand. He is the father of six children under 12 years old, so when not working he is busy with his growing family. Cynthia and Michael have been learning the ropes of the business and will continue to be an integral part of the changes needed as the motel moves into the future.
Back to Donald and Martha…
After retiring from the motel Donald remained active in numerous businesses, was an unofficial mentor and spokesman for the Town administration and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, helping the fire company to care for the ponies on Assateague and his own herd at the Chincoteague Pony Farm. He passed away in September 2010. Prior to his passing he expressed his wish to have his ashes spread out in the bay right by his home. Donna recalls him saying that when he stood out on the deck at his and Martha’s home overlooking the water, he considered that he was in heaven on earth. He felt he had really achieved what he wanted in life which was looking out over this water view and also having provided a good life for his children. After Donald passed away, his ashes were equally divided between Martha and the four children. The ashes remained undisturbed for some time as the family adjusted to their loss.
After Donald’s death, Martha remained active helping Carlton with his tour boat reservations, working the New York Times crossword puzzles, constantly learning new computer skills, and various games to keep her mind sharp. Her home and heart were always open to her children, grandchildren, friends and family dogs- all of whom enjoyed the never-ending supply of scrapple which seemed to magically materialize on her kitchen counter! Martha continued to host many family gatherings both large and small but it may have been her one-on-one conversations with family and friends that are most warmly remembered. She was a very good listener. While she might offer advice it was always done with love and without judgement. It is hard to imagine a more valuable gift to offer to her children and grandchildren as they charted their own courses through life.
Martha passed in 2012. While cleaning out Martha’s home, Donna discovered Donald’s ashes. She said, “‘Dad would not be happy with us. He told us where he wanted to be and we haven’t done it. He was very clear”. Soon after, Donna and Carlton began making plans for the whole family to go out on Carlton’s tour boat and spread the combined ashes of Donald and Martha by placing their parents’ ashes into small corked milk bottles which were distributed to each family member on the cruise. As the time for the cruise approached several people were late, the tide was low, and Carlton had a busy afternoon tour schedule. Carlton informed Donna that there was no way they could get to Oyster Bay, where Donald requested his ashes to be spread. Instead, they chose to travel the Assateague Channel and stop at places such as Little Beach, Pony Swim Point, Assateague Lighthouse, and the bridge that connected the two islands. These were all important spots in Donald’s life and truly honored his memory as well as his and Martha’s lifelong dedication to these islands. This is not, however, the end of this story as three of their grandchildren- Cynthia, Hunter, and Ayden, did not disperse their ashes on that day.
Cynthia retained her little bottle of ashes and she keeps them on her desk at The Refuge Inn. Cynthia says having those ashes there reminds her of her grandparents’ trust in her and their devotion to the motel. Sometimes when facing important decisions she finds herself thinking, “what would NaNa and Pop Pop do” and the answer is almost always the same - “Do what you know is right, be kind to the guests and the staff, take care of the island and the rest will come.”
Hunter, who spent all the time he could around his Pop Pop Don and his ponies, had other plans. Like his grandfather, Hunter seems to have been born to be a Saltwater Cowboy so it surprised no one when he joined the fire company as soon as he was able. The summer following the family boat cruise, as the horses came down the marsh for the pony swim, Hunter was in the lead. Donna recalls the moment she saw him and realized how proud Donald would be that Hunter was following in his footsteps with the fire company and the ponies. After the event was complete, Hunter told his family, “Yeah, Pop Pop was in my saddle bag. Before I took off for the round up, I said, ‘Pop Pop, you’re going with me.’” Both Hunter and his grandfather’s ashes have been a part of every swim since that day.
Ayden, Hunter’s younger brother, followed his brother’s lead and joined the fire company as a junior fireman and Saltwater Cowboy. On a trip to lead a stallion and his herd back to their home from a nearby island, he brought out his milk bottle while guiding the boat. When asked what it was by the veterinarian on board, Ayden replied, “That’s my Pop Pop. We carry him hunting and out on the boat with us. We carry him on the round up. He is the reason all this is here and the reason we do what we do for the ponies and this island.”
Today, all of Donald and Martha’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren live on Chincoteague. Most of them are on Leonard Lane– the land Donald and Martha purchased back in the 1960’s. Just like Donald and Martha, they have grown up with a deep love and respect for the land, the ponies, and the island way of life. While some of the grandchildren are actively involved with the motel, those who aren’t are active on the island in their various businesses and remain involved in the community, working to improve lives for both residents and visitors as their grandparents did.
As time marches on, many things about the island and the inn change. It is Donald and Martha’s legacy that has their family continue to do what they do for the ponies, for the inn, and for the beautiful island of Chincoteague. One thing that does not change is that many of the families who have called Chincoteague home for many generations continue to contribute to the charm and preservation of the island. There are also many newer families on Chincoteague that offer valuable new perspectives to island life. Whether old or new, the love that people carry in their hearts for the seeds planted here long ago remains strong in the traditions carried on by islanders of all ages and backgrounds. It lives on in the experiences of the thousands of visitors who enjoy the Refuge Inn ponies, the inn itself, and the timeless charm of the island as a whole. It also lives on in the saddle bags of two young men who carry the memories of their grandfather and grandmother with them every time they saddle a horse or pilot a boat, embarking on a new adventure, one that would certainly make their grandparents both grateful and proud. As Grandma Beebe once said, "Nothing ever dies as long as there is a memory to enfold it and a heart to love it."
This story was created as a joint effort by Leonard Family members Donna Leonard and Jane Leonard Wolffe, with interviews and contributions from local author Hayleigh Bradbury.