Spencer Leak Jr., 3rd-Generation Leader Of Chicago’s Leak & Sons Funeral Homes, Dies At 56

Leak is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Donna, and their daughter, Emma, and son, Spencer III.

Spencer Leak Jr., a third-generation scion and co-leader of Chicago’s Leak & Sons Funeral Homes, died Sunday, May 31, at age 56, according to a statement released by the Leak Family.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the sudden passing of our beloved Spencer Leak, Jr. Spencer was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and a steadfast leader whose presence and wisdom deeply shaped our family and our community,” the family shared in the statement.

“For more than 45 years, Spencer helped lead Leak and Sons Funeral Home — the business founded by his family generations ago and carried forward with his father, Spencer Leak, Sr., and his mother, Henrietta. Alongside his brothers, Stacy and Stephen, he upheld a legacy now spanning three generations and rooted in a simple promise: that every family, regardless of means, deserves to lay their loved ones to rest with dignity. 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. Most recently, he was honored to help guide the family’s care for the late Rev. Jesse L. Jackson — an honor rooted in a bond that, like so much of his life’s work, was built on decades of service and trust.”

As a funeral director and vice president of Leak and Sons, Leak Jr. helped to carry the legacy of one of Chicago’s most venerated, multigenerational Black-owned businesses, founded by his grandfather A.R. Leak in 1933, who launched the venture with a $500 loan and an additional $500 he earned as a bathroom attendant at the World’s Fair in Chicago. Today, Leak & Sons comprises three Illinois locations in Chicago, Country Club Hills, and Matteson.

One of Leak’s last public appearances was May 18 at the annual awards fundraiser of the Harold Washington Cultural Center (HWCC), a Black family-owned nonprofit, where, along with his mother, Henrietta Leak, he accepted the HWCC’s Lifetime Impact Award to Children Community and Culture on behalf of his family and Leak & Sons. During his acceptance speech, Leak expressed his proud anticipation of the fourth generation of family business leadership, son Spencer Leak III, a recent graduate of Michigan State University.

“It is impossible to put into words how huge a loss this is for the Leak Family, the city of Chicago, and the generations of families that Leak & Sons has provided compassionate and excellent service to for more than nine decades,” said HWCC Global Director Jimalita Tillman. “Spencer’s heart for and service to our community is of immeasurable impact. I am personally grief-stricken by his sudden and unexpected passing.”

In addition to his parents and son, Leak is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Donna, and their daughter, Emma.