Leverett obituaries, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana 

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Name, date of obit, date submitted, submitted for the USGenWeb archives by:

Leverett, Melvin T.         4 Nov 2010    Nov 2010    Jerry Nelson

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Obituary published in The Advocate (Baton Rouge) on:  11/4/2010

LEVERETT, MELVIN T.
Melvin T. Leverett, 63, a native of Mobile, Ala., and a resident of 
Hammond, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. A loving 
and devoted husband, father, son and friend, Melvin was a mentor to 
numerous entrepreneurs. A successful businessman and real estate 
professional, Melvin was a graduate of the University of Alabama, 
Tuscaloosa, where he received a bachelor of science 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 named 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 North Shore as well as two Sonic restaurants on the South Shore. He 
also 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 was named Hammond Citizen of the Year. To 
cherish his memory, he leaves behind his loving wife of 18 years, Renetta 
Raby Leverett; 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 at Brandon G. Thompson 
Funeral Home, west of Hammond, on Friday, Nov. 5, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The 
visitation will continue at Word of Life Christian Center, Darrow, on 
Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. until the celebration of life service at 
11 a.m. Dr. Leroy Thompson will officiate the services. Interment will 
follow in Rose Memorial Cemetery, Hammond. The family would like to say a 
special thanks to their devoted friends, Dr. Peter and Dr. Leslie Bostick, 
of Baton Rouge, and the transplant staff of Ochsner Medical Center, 
especially Dr. Hector Ventura and Dr. Humang Patel. Condolences and other 
information are available online at www.thompsoncares.com.

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