Leslie Morris Golden, 82, died on April 6, 2026. Les was a true Renaissance Man – an astronomer, author, musician, actor, comedian, and political activist. He was raised in Oak Park and graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School at the top of his class. He received his B.A. and Master of Engineering Physics from Cornell University, and his M.A. and PhD in Astronomy from University of California, Berkeley. In his time at Cornell, he served as editor-in-chief of Cornell Engineer Magazine. He founded and served as director of the Near Earth Asteroid Reconnaissance Project (NEAR). He was a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and Roosevelt universities for many years. He authored numerous books, articles and publications, including the critically acclaimed Never Split Tens (Copernicus Books) and the illustrated and definitive Laboratory Experiments in Physics for Modern Astronomy (Springer Publishing).
A talented trumpet player, jazz vocalist, and band leader, he had more than 100 stage, film, radio, television, and commercial credits to his name. He was a charter member of Porchlight Theater Ensemble in Chicago and coordinated the music that preceded the fireworks show in Oak Park Stadium for many years. He was brilliant in the gambling world, helping to develop the Golden Diagram for blackjack and the Magic Circle system for roulette. He co-founded the CARE Party in Oak Park and gained notoriety for calling himself Les “Cut the Taxes” Golden as a candidate. He cared deeply for animals and the environment, taking part in local government and activism for decades. As he said, “We don’t own the Earth, we simply share it.” He will be deeply missed.
Les was the son of the late Irving and Anne Golden; the brother of Bruce P. Golden and the late Marla Wolfinger; the brother-in-law of Kenneth Wolfinger (Ying); the uncle of Dale Golden, Cheryl Balaban (Joel Epstein), Beth Balaban (Ken Lorant), and Susan Balaban (Jeff Markham); the great-uncle of 8 and great-great uncle of 5.
Memorial contributions may be made to PETA, www.support.peta.org, the ASPCA, www.aspca.org, or the American Humane Society, www.americanhumane.org.