Los Angeles, California - LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Leonard "Lenny" Singer, a therapist, healer, shaman, and spiritual teacher, passed away peacefully at his home in Van Nuys, California, March 28, 2026, at the age of 88.

Lenny was born in New York City, Sept. 5, 1937, to Polish immigrants, Julius and Goldie Singer. A standout athlete at James Madison High School in Brooklyn, he later earned a B.S. from Queens College and served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. After working with troubled youth as a recreation director, he found his calling in social work, earning master's degrees from NYU and Yeshiva University.

He founded Project Renewal (PRI) with the Manhattan Bowery Corporation, a pioneering program that began as a 48-bed detoxification unit and grew into New York City's leading homeless service agency. He led the organization for 20 years.

In 1988, he married Natasha Dellinger, with whom he shared a deep spiritual bond. That same year, they co-founded the intentional community Eagle Mountain in Oneonta, under the teachings of Chiefs Leonard Crowdog and Luciano Perez in the Lakota traditions. For more than 25 years, Lenny led traditional ceremonies alongside his wife. He danced at Sundance on the Rosebud Reservation for more than 20 years, helped coordinate annual Christmas deliveries to the reservation, and in 1998 spoke at the United Nations as a representative of the International Indian Treaty Council. In 2006, he was granted authority to represent the Rosebud Sioux Tribe by Sinte Gleska University.

Lenny also maintained a private therapy practice in Oneonta for nearly three decades, blending spiritual counsel, shamanic techniques and traditional psychotherapy.

Lenny loved to watch sports, especially his NY Giants and NY Knicks. Listening to jazz and going out to eat were some of Lenny's favorite things to do. Lenny was a great storyteller, each one a gentle offering of his hard-earned wisdom. Lenny made friends wherever he went, always wearing a smile and could strike up a conversation with anyone.

Lenny is survived by his wife, Natasha Dellinger Singer; daughter, Jennifer Singer (Chris Richter); stepdaughter, Tania Horton (Marcus Dalzine); brother, Martin Singer; grandchildren, Tristan Barnett, Shayni-May Richter, and Zephyr Dalzine; and great-grandchildren, Zoey, Bentley and Blaine. He was predeceased by his stepdaughter, Michele Barnett.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 19 in Los Angeles. For details, please contact TaniaDHorton@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Nations Development Institute at firstnations.org.