Leak & Sons Funeral Homes, a Black-owned family business that has been showing up to support families in their time of need since 1933, is an institution as storied as the individuals it has buried, including singer Sam Cooke, comedian Bernie Mac, Thomas Dorsey, known as the father of gospel music, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr.
On Sunday, Spencer Leak Jr., the third generation to usher the recently deceased and their loved ones through the “homegoing” process, died at the age of 56.
Leak Jr. was vice president of the prominent funeral home that began with his grandfather the Rev. A.R. Leak, who helped bring Martin Luther King Jr. to Chicago in the 1960s to protest the deplorable housing conditions for Black people who endured redlining; rented buses that carried hundreds of Chicagoans to the march on Washington in 1963; and from 1966 to 1970, helped Jackson’s family land on their feet when they first arrived in Chicago by leasing them an apartment he owned for a nominal fee.
Leak Jr. carried on the family’s social justice legacy during his more than 45 years helping lead the family business with locations in Chatham, Country Club Hills and Matteson. That activism and compassion toward others was evident in his personal life as well.
He mentored young Black men and served as a tutor for young people in need, as noted in an Illinois House resolution commemorating his 55th birthday last year. A glimpse at social media channels shows him singing the refrain from “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” at the start of COVID-19, with tears in his eyes, asking people to stay home in March 2020 as the pandemic took hold. Months later, Leak spoke about the need to expand refrigerator space at the funeral home’s Chatham neighborhood location, and that extra staff had to be hired to work behind the scenes and assist families. And just last week, on Facebook, Leak welcomed the fourth generation into the fold when his son, Spencer Leak III, a recent college graduate, became a new employee in the family business.
The son of Spencer Leak Sr. and Henrietta, Leak Jr. elevated the vision of the business that his grandfather built, one that saw a need for dignified funeral services for the Black community, according to media pioneer Hermene Hartman, creator of N’DIGO. “The Leak family has long been woven into the fabric of Chicago’s Black community. They attended our churches, our galas, our anniversaries, and our community celebrations. They show up. They support. They served,” Hartman said. “He will be remembered as the man who got you through it; he gave so much of himself to others.” “He was a tireless advocate for families who could not afford a burial, a champion of Chicago’s businesses, and a generous mentor to entrepreneurs across our city,” his family said in a statement.
Melody Spann-Cooper, chairman of Midway Broadcasting Corp., which owns WVON-AM 1690, is part of another legacy family in Chicago. The daughter of the late Pervis Spann, an iconic Chicago broadcaster for more than 60 years who was instrumental in providing a platform for Black musical artists to gain national exposure, she considers the Leaks “one of the Black community’s best friends: loving giving, sharing.”
“He was the only funeral director I knew who everyone had his cell number and we used it in good times and bad,” Spann-Cooper said of Leak Jr. “Losing Spencer Jr. is devastating and we all have to figure out our new normal. But the Leaks … family is a dynasty that will be around for generations to come, just like the Crowns, Pritzkers and Daleys.”
“I met Spencer as a young minister close to 25 years ago,” said Ald. William Hall, 6th. He said the relationship grew to one of respect and inspiration. “There are so many stories of family, friends and ward residents who were blessed by him, he was an inspiration.” Hall remembered being at a homegoing service for a youth lost to gun violence — witnessing a room filled with hurt, chaos, young people all over the place, when “Spencer came in like Casper, the Friendly Ghost — soothed the family and changed the temperature in the room without grabbing the mic. He handled people with care and respect like an egg in your pocket. He served the living and helped people grapple with the pain of death.”
Leak’s friend Andre Guichard, an artist and gallery owner, considered him a Renaissance man, a “salt of the earth” kind of guy. The two met when Leak was pledging Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Guichard, having produced roughly 3,500 paintings, considers the 5-by-5 painting he created for Leak — which depicts the Last Supper with men of color — hanging in Leak’s Matteson location, one of his favorites.
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Guichard recalls how Leak was a fan of House music, cars and art. “His was a life well lived … all those little things that say Chicago, who we are and what makes Chicago special. That was him.”
Lifelong friend Torrey Barrett used to routinely call Leak Jr. in his role as senior pastor and CEO of Life Center Church of Universal Awareness, sharing with Leak the names of those in his church who had died. Barrett said Leak would tell him to give the bereaved family his cell number.
“I said you need an assistant … why are you having them call you directly? That’s the kind of person he was … he wanted to personally handle every family member who passed. In addition to answering the phone for everyone, I’ve never called him in all the years I’ve known him and he never answered. That’s just who he was.”
When Barrett lost his sister to violence, Leak’s family personally walked his family through it 18 years ago. Barrett said when Leak’s family escorted the body of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to memorial services in South Carolina, his friend shared how as they passed through each state, a group of troopers would meet them from every state. “He said he was blessed to experience that,” Barrett, who’s CEO of KLEO Enterprises, added.
Leon Walker, an attorney and CEO of DL3 Realty Advisors, said it was difficult having lost his preschool friend and neighbor. He is godfather to Leak’s children, and Spencer Sr. and Henrietta Leak are godparents to Walker.
“The loss is not just for us personally, but for our community and city, when we’re at a moment in time when leadership matters so much,” he said. “The Leak family has long been synonymous with community commitment that went beyond their business. He’s been a trusted friend, advocate, a steward of his family’s legacy and a partner to so many entrepreneurs and other business leaders in our communities on the South and West sides and south suburbs. He touched a lot of lives, a lot of families, always believing that all lives have value and deserve respect — he lived that out every day in his life.”
In addition to his parents, Leak Jr. is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Donna; their children, Spencer Leak III and and Emma; and his brothers, Stacy and Stephen.