ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LA. 

Obituary for: LEVERETT, MELVIN T. 

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan. 

Source: St. Tammany News

Published on Friday, November 5, 2010 

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LEVERETT

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Melvin T. Leverett, 63, a native of Mobile, Ala., and a resident of Hammond, 
went home to be with the Lord Sunday, Oct, 31, 2010. 

A loving and devoted husband, father, son and friend, Melvin was a mentor to 
numerous entrepreneurs. A successful business man and real estate professional, 
Melvin was a graduate of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa where he received 
a B.S. in management and marketing. 

Early in his career as an employee of IBM, Melvin was the first minority office 
manager in Atlanta. He helped establish the first minority real estate school in 
Atlanta where he was also awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He founded 
Century 21 Action Realty in Mobile, which became the city's first minority owned 
Real Estate company. 

In Louisiana, Melvin was a former owner/operator of 10 McDonald's restaurants on 
the Northshore as well as two Sonic restaurants on the south shore, and he owned 
two Ace Cash Express franchises. 

He was a founding member of the Hammond/Ponchatoula Rotary Club and a Paul 
Harris Fellow. He was on the St. Tammany Leadership Board and a founding member 
of Leadership Tangipahoa. He served on many advisory boards including the 
National Association Board of Realtors, The Boys and Girls Club, Hammond Chamber 
of Commerce, Ginger Ford Habitat for Humanity, Lallie Kemp Hospital, 
Southeastern Louisiana University, AmSouth Bank, Deposit Guaranty Bank and 
Regions Bank. During his career, Melvin was recognized as Minority Business 
Person of the Year for the State of Louisiana and he was named the Hammond, 
Louisiana Citizen of the Year.

To cherish his memory, he leaves behind his loving wife of 18 years, Renetta 
Raby Leverett and daughters, Christina Alexis Leverett and Courtney Alana 
Leverett of Hammond; mother, Ernestine W. Leverett; son Justin Wesley Leverett; 
granddaughter, Paris Leverett, and sisters, Patricia White and husband Clyde of 
Mobile, and Angela Leverett of Slidell. He is also survived by his mother-in-
law, Bernice Raby of Hammond; nieces, Amelia and Maggie; nephew Lee and beloved 
family pet, Diamond Ciarra. 

Preceding Melvin in death was his father, Wesley Leverett.

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the visitation from 5 
- 9 p.m. today at Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, west of Hammond. The 
visitation will continue at Word of Life Christian Center in Darrow tomorrow 
from 10 a.m.. until the Celebration of Life Service at 11 a.m. Dr. Leroy 
Thompson will officiate the services and interment will follow in Rose Memorial 
Cemetery in Hammond.

The family would like to say a special thanks to their devoted friends, Drs. 
Peter and Leslie Bostick of Baton Rouge and the transplant staff of Ochsner 
Medical Center, especially Dr. Hector Ventura and Dr. Humang Patel. 

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home of Hammond.

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