Leo Heaps was born in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1922, and lived his life in California, England, and finally in Toronto. His early years were in the shadow of his father, a famous Parliamentarian, followed by his service in the British 1st Airborne during World War II, where he was awarded the Military Cross. His post-war exploits took him to the war of Independence in Israel, where he trained members of the Israeli army, and finally to the Hungarian revolution where he he worked with the International Rescue Committee. In civilian life, he had an unbridled passion for adventure, fine artwork, and writing, all of which played important roles in his various published works. An accomplished ocean sailor and tennis player, he always made time for these two pursuits, while still attending obscure auctions, where he uncovered several rare works of art. His various exploits produced life-long relationships with a fascinating array of colleagues from all walks of life, many of them becoming the basis for characters in some of his published works. Leo Heaps died in 1995.
