Leotrice McLeod, better known as Mother McLeod or Lee, was born in Ozark, Alabama on June 21, 1936. She earned her high school diploma and graduated class of 1954 from D. A. Smith High School. In 1966, she moved to Canton Ohio and became a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church. She worked at Republic Steel as a manufacturing associate and had a passion for beauty, fashion, and what we all cannot stop talking about and always looked forward to was her cooking. She was a beautician and was skillful with the pressing comb. She could catch and straighten your eyebrows if you let her. As far as fashion, her basement was set up like a boutique. She had everything to coordinate from head to toe. She spent most of her time in her kitchen cooking everything from scratch, using a lot of ingredients from her garden. People could smell her food from miles away and did not hesitate to stop by, knowing that she would not let them leave without getting a bite to eat, followed by a piece of her famous cakes or pies. She also loved fishing, crocheting, and making homemade ice cream for the neighborhood kids. She was everyone’s Big Momma, their safe place, their strength, their prayer warrior. She will truly be missed and never forgotten.

After being blessed to live to be 90 years young, God called her home on Thursday, July 30, 2026. She is preceded in death by her parents: Sam and Lucille Taylor of Ozark Alabama. Her siblings: Cornelius Taylor, Grant (Louis) Taylor, Earnest (Gaynell) Taylor. Margaret Taylor-Barrow, Cherrie Mae Taylor- McLeod, Mable Taylor-Sistrunk, her grand-daughter Ashley Boggs and great-granddaughter Aniyah Nichole Johnson. Also preceding her are her brother and sister in-laws: Minnie Lee Johnson, Ola Mae Johnson, Winona Harris, Magaret Sue Wilson, Essie Viola McLeod-Byrd, Annie Dora (James) Edwards, Floyd McLeod, Willie Dowling McLeod, and Bobby Lee McLeod.

She leaves her legacy to her children: Johnny McLeod, Vonda McLeod-Fite, Stefan (Eunicia) McLeod, James McLeod, Bobby (Angela) McLeod, Damien McLeod and Otis McLeod. She also leaves behind 25 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Last, but not least, her sister-in-law: Overseer, Gaynell Taylor of New Jerusalem Holiness Church.