Leslie Janice Jackson passed away peacefully on Friday, September 11, 2026, at her home in Shaker Heights, Ohio, surrounded by loved ones. She was 69 years old. Leslie lived with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) for nearly fourteen years—many years longer than initially expected—and faced the disease with faith, courage, and determination.

Leslie moved through the world with grace, warmth, and elegance and lived a life rooted in faith, family, and service. While we mourn her passing, we take comfort in our cherished memories and in the belief that she is at peace.

The firstborn child of Dorris Jean and Rayford L. Jackson, Leslie was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 13, 1957. Family lore holds that the obstetrician offered to delay her delivery so she could share a July 14 birthday with her mother—an offer Dorris humorously declined. Leslie grew up on Becket Road in Ludlow, a close-knit Shaker Heights community, alongside her siblings Lorie, Lynette, Jeffrey, and Lydia. As the eldest sister, she embraced her role as protector and guide, caring for her siblings with devotion and love.

After graduating from Shaker Heights High School in 1975, Leslie earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1979. While there, she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, proudly following in her mother’s footsteps.

A year after graduation, Leslie married Alvin Thomas, and together they had four children: Dana, Carmen, Patrick, and Matthew. Leslie created a vibrant home filled with warmth and celebration. Her family especially remembers joyful Christmases and summer cookouts in North Canton, filled with laughter, feasting, basketball, and playful turns on the trampoline. She took her children on family excursions and lovingly crafted their Halloween costumes by hand. Although their marriage later ended, Leslie and Alvin remained close friends, united by their devotion to their family.

In 1990, Leslie joined the Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities, beginning a meaningful career that spanned more than two decades. She helped people find fulfilling employment, live more independently, participate in community activities, and advocate for their interests. Her impact endured: years later, former clients would recognize her while she was shopping, greet her with warm hugs, and thank her for the difference she had made in their lives.

When she became a grandmother, Leslie embraced the more glamorous title “Mimi.” Time with her grandchildren was among her greatest joys.

Leslie possessed a whimsical, joyful spirit and a natural flair for making life more beautiful. She frequently transformed her home, wore clothes and accessories with her own distinctive touch, and graciously brought people together through professional events, lively gatherings, and family celebrations. She loved art, crafts, music, dancing, travel, good food, and time with the people she cared about. She introduced her sister Lorie to artists such as Miles Davis and Al Jarreau and was the first among her siblings to travel overseas, taking memorable trips to Belize and Hawaii as a young woman.