He married mycologist Mary Williams Ward Shanor on June 20, 1940, in Burgaw, North Carolina.
[1] Outside of their studies in mycology, Leland and Mary Shanor were both heavily involved in real estate.
They are both buried in Rockfish Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Wallace, Duplin County, North Carolina.
Under their guidance, Shanor developed a decided taste for mycology, notably on aquatic environment oomycetes.
[8] During World War II Leland Shanor served as Plant Pathologist and led studies on fungi associated with tropical deterioration of textiles and cordage.
A few examples are Richard K. Benjamin who worked on Laboulbeniales, Everett Smith Beneke who studied human mycosis and Robert W. Lichtwardt who is a world authority on Trichomycetes.