Mr. Leroy Holt Jr.'s Obituary
On February 6, 1934, LeRoy Holt, Jr. was born as the second child to LeRoy Holt and Otelia Anderson-Holt in Pinebluff, Arkansas. Originally named as L.J. by his parents, he did not like initials being given to him as his first name. This little unknown fact led him to change his original given name of L.J. to the namesake of his father and become, Leroy Holt, Jr. At an early age in Arkansas, he accepted his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at Highland Baptist Church ln Pinebluff, Arkansas. His favorite scripture was Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up my eyes unto the hill from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." Throughout his life, he depended upon the Lord as the source of his strength. Doing things his way, as he believed to be rightly orchestrated, he lived his life in service to others. And, on May 7, 2019, at 11 :30 a.m., he peacefully transitioned at home in his wife's arms from this earthly life. His father and mother along with his sister, Lorene and brother Ray, preceded him in death. Since early childhood, LeRoy was an innovator and respectfully earned the title of "Mr." before his• name. He mended his own shoes and sewed his pants for school. These formative experiences in growing up taught him to be very particular about the way his clothing looked which, for him, meant-no lint, no wrinkles, no spots. At the age of 14, LeRoy moved to Pasadena, California and began a paper route, cutting grass, and finding other ways to earn money. At the age of 16, he had saved a substantial amount of money and many were led to believe that he was "tight" with his money. LeRoy would often say, "better to squat than squander," because he valued the importance of saving money. LeRoy finished secondary school at McKinley High School in Pasadena and earned his Associate of Arts Degree from Pasadena City College. LeRoy and his one of his best friends, William Gibbs, would ride the "Red Car" from Pasadena to the Beach where they would listen to Jazz. They both became avid Jazz lovers, traveling many places to hear their favorites artists of Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Wes Montgomery, Sarah Vaughn and more. In 1952, Leroy joined the United States Navy as a military man and received training to become a Machinist Mate in Great Lake, Illinois. He would later receive an honorable discharge from the Navy. LeRoy was a "quiet storm" as he was an expert marksman, a meticulous plumber, and a great artist. Particularly, as an artist, he loved his own artwork and kept all of his paintings in his home for his family and friends to see. He first married Mildred Johnson and, to this union, two sons were born, Darick Wayne and Michael Lamont. After becoming a family man, LeRoy purchased a home on Raymond Avenue in Pasadena which, eventually, was damaged by fire. Instead of rebuilding the home to its previous state, LeRoy decided to build an apartment building. Of course, there were many "nay sayers". Having the benefit of working at Arcadia Public Library, he obtained the knowledge of"how to" build and own. At the age of 28, LeRoy began the successful endeavor of becoming an owner and builder of a 10-unit Apartment Building. The Apartment Building was named in honor of his two sons, La-Wayne Apartments. Also, while working at the Library, LeRoy took advantage of the many books that were before him. He developed hobbies of reading and learning and became a whiz at answering questions about many subjects. Whether on politics or world order in general, LeRoy loved a good debate. He later married Julie Anna Green. LeRoy decided to branch out on his own and go into business for himself as an entrepreneur. While in business for himself, LeRoy experienced a sense of freedom as he participated in many groups and organizations. He launched one of the busiest boutique shops, named LaWayne's, in Altadena, California. LeRoy and Julie worked together for 15 years in which they sold food, clothing, and music. LeRoy particularly open himself up to listening to music and he found himself coming to love and appreciate different types of music. As he grew older, LeRoy decided he wanted a change of pace in life, a peaceful domain, where he could return to nature. So he packed up his little Datsun truck, his wife, and dog (Shaft) left Pasadena, California and moved to Quitman, Mississippi, the birth place of his wife and began to create a place of solitude. This place was all woods and, while it took many years before he could see the fruits of his labor, he continued to work diligently in home improvement, landscaping, and other outdoor projects. LeRoy enjoyed watching the wilds of nature ... the deer, turkey, birds, especially the red birds, geese, snakes, lizards ... He enjoyed them all! The Lord placed an unexpected gift in LeRoy's life by the name of Ta'Niya. From her days as a little girl to her now years as a teenager, Ta'Niya brought much joy and serenity to LeRoy's later years of life. Fondly referred to as "Uncle LeRoy" by Ta'Niya, LeRoy kept a favorite picture of her, called "solitude", in which he uniquely named given his artistic and cultural abilities. He was happy attending her recitals, dance competitions, cheer events, school programs, ball games and church. LeRoy strongly believed the unexpected gift of Ta'Niya extended his life span beyond the Lord’s promise of 70 years. LeRoy was a member of Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Church where he helped in different church endeavors. He also was an avid supporter of the Christian News and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Parade as both are community endeavors in Quitman, Mississippi that have been established by his wife, Julie. HIS "PROUDEST MOMENT": Going to Selma, Alabama for the 50th Year Anniversary of Bloody Sunday was a proud moment for him. He witnessed President Barack Obama speaking and walking across the Edmund Winston Pettus Bridge! ms "BUCKET LIST": Going to Cuba was one item on his list that he was forever grateful to President Barack Obama! President Obama lifted the travel ban and permitted U.S. Citizens to be able to travel to Cuba. So, in June 2016, his dream was fulfilled as he enjoyed 10 days in Cuba! He danced, he saw the old cars, he learned a lot about slavery, and the people of Cuba. This visit brought a smile to his face for months! HE LEAVES TO CHERISH ALL HIS LOVE, WORDS, PHRASES, THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES TO: his wife, Julie and daughter, TaNiya; his sons, Darick (Denise) and Michael (Vonn); his grandsons, Jarrett, Eric, Todd, Lamont; his granddaughters, Sable, Michelle, Chanelle, and Makala; his nephew, Aaron (Sherrel) Waddell; his nieces, Sandra Waddell and Sherry (Tony) Ray; his brother-in-law: Willie Green, his best friends, William Gibbs, Eddie Boatwright, and Stephen Cunningham; his church family at Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Quitman, Mississippi, other relatives and friends.
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