Chicago Funeral Home Leader Spencer Leak Jr. Dies at 56

Spencer Leak Jr., who helped run one of Chicago's most well-known funeral homes, has died at age 56. His family confirmed his death this week. Leak Jr. was the vice president of Leak & Sons Funeral Homes. The funeral home has served Chicago families for more than 90 years.

Spencer Leak Jr. was one of three sons of Spencer Leak Sr. His grandfather was the Rev. A.R. Leak, who started the funeral home. The Rev. A.R. Leak opened the business in 1933 because he saw that Black families needed help. Many Black people could not afford to bury their loved ones in a nice way back then.

The Leak family has a long history of helping the community. Spencer Leak Jr.'s grandfather gave rides to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he visited Chicago. The Rev. A.R. Leak also led a march to make Oak Woods Cemetery open to all people. This was part of the fight for civil rights in America.

Today, Leak & Sons Funeral Homes has three locations in the Chicago area. The main office is on South Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago. There are also offices in Country Club Hills and Matteson. These are suburbs south of Chicago.

Spencer Leak Jr. started working at his family's funeral home when he was just a boy. He went to Southern Illinois University to study funeral service. In 1989, he became a licensed funeral director. This means he was legally allowed to help families plan funerals.

The Illinois House of Representatives honored Spencer Leak Jr. on his 55th birthday in 2024. They said he helped make the funeral home more modern and efficient. The funeral home now handles more than 3,000 funerals each year in the Chicago area. That's about eight funerals every single day.

Spencer Leak Jr. was known for helping his community in many ways. He was a member of a group called 100 Black Men. This group helps young Black men by giving them mentors and role models. Spencer Leak Jr. spent time teaching and guiding young people.

Spencer Leak Jr. leaves behind his wife, Dr. Donna Leak, and two children. His son is Spencer Leak III, and his daughter is Emma Sophia Leak. The family will continue to run the funeral home business that has helped Chicago families for almost a century.