Harold Woodard McLeary Jr.
Funeral services for Harold Woodard McLeary Jr., 68, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 6 at Frist United Methodist Church of Humboldt, Tenn. with the Rev. Randy Cooper officiating. The family will receive friends beginning at 12:30 p.m. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery with Shelton-Hunt Funeral Home handling arrangements.
Mr. McLeary, born in Humboldt, son of the late Harold Woodard McLeary Sr. and Frances Warmath McLeary, passed away in Franklin, Tenn. on Friday, June 29 following a difficult cancer battle.
He graduated Memphis State University ‘72 and University of Tennessee College of Law ‘75. During his 40-year law career, Mr. McLeary had the privilege of representing families and businesses along with physicians, hospital chains and the Illinois Central Railroad. He considered mentoring young attorneys to be a great joy and served his clients with dedication and perseverance.
While active in Boy Scouts of America, Mr. McLeary earned his God and Country, Order of the Arrow, and Eagle Scout Award. He served his home church, First United Methodist Church, Humboldt, as a Sunday school teacher, youth leader and as chairman of the board. He was active in Rotary Club, and served on the board of directors for Merchant State Bank and Union Planters Bank. Mr. McLeary was a member of the Memphis Bar Association, American Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Trial Lawyers, licensed in the Supreme Court of Tennessee, Judicial Department of Tennessee State Supreme Court, Court of Appeals – Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. McLeary was a member of Germantown United Methodist Church, an avid outdoorsman, adventurous cook, keen reader, and music critic.
Mr. McLeary is survived by his wife, Edith Stewart McLeary of Spring Hill, Tenn.; a daughter, Catherine “Brooke” McLeary Jones (B. Jones III) of Franklin; sister, Georgia McLeary Blankenship (Dr. Joe) of Jackson, Tenn.; grandchildren, Margaret “Frances” Jones and B. Jones IV of Franklin; nieces and nephew, Mary, Elizabeth, and David Blankenship of Jackson; cousins, Dr. John D. Glover (Sarah) of Birmingham, Ala., Richard W. Glover (Rachel) of Greenwood, Ind., and Walter M. Warmath of Humboldt.
Pallbears will be William Bell Jr., Gary Caraway Sr., Warlick Clark, Irvin Cooper, J. Cole Dowsley Sr., John Hale and John Walden.
The family requests that memorials be made to First United Methodist Church, 200 North 12th Ave., Humboldt, TN 38343 or the Humboldt Public Library Foundation, 115 South 16th Ave., Humboldt, TN 38343.