Longtime civic activist Leigh dies

Tuesday, April 16, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.

Geraldine Leigh, a black community activist in California and Las Vegas who was named Clark County Civic Service Mother of the Year in 2000, died Wednesday following a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 77.

Leigh, a co-founder of the NAACP of Santa Monica/Santa Maria, Calif., and an elected official of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Las Vegas during the 1990s, died at Odyssey Health Care hospice.

Services for the Southern Nevada resident of 17 years will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Second Baptist Church. Graveside services will be at 1:20 p.m. at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City. Visitation will be 2-7 p.m. Wednesday at Palm Mortuary-Downtown.

"My mother always believed in doing what was right and was not afraid to voice her opinion," daughter Karen Leigh-Lefkowitz, of Lindenwold, N.J., said. "She was an outgoing person who loved her community and took great pride in improving conditions in the black community."

In California, where her activism began, Leigh was the first black appointed to the Santa Barbara grand jury. At the time, she was in charge of the International Telegraph and Telephone offices in Santa Monica.

In 1976 Leigh worked first on the presidential campaign of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and later served as Santa Monica campaign manager for Jimmy Carter's successful presidential bid.

In Las Vegas Leigh served as a board member and political activity chairwoman of the NAACP, was a 1999 delegate to the county and state Democratic Convention, a charter and board member of the Northwest Las Vegas AARP Chapter 4395, a role model of the Professional Black Women's Alliance in 1992 and a member and chaplain of the Nevada Coalition of Concerned Women.

Born Geraldine Kendrick on Sept. 30, 1924, in Dayton, Ohio, she was the second oldest of five children of auto parts manufacturer Stratton Kendrick and the former Annette Farrow.

In 1940 she was introduced to Army officer Tom Leigh, whom she married in 1943. During her husband's 21-year military career, the couple made 17 moves over three continents, ending with them settling in Las Vegas in 1985. The retired colonel survives her.

Geraldine considered the nomination for Mother of the Year by her daughter Karen one of the greatest honors of her life. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman presented the award to her during a ceremony at the Gold Coast. Leigh also won the 2001 Black Pioneer Award for her community service.

Leigh was a breast cancer survivor for 12 years and was an avid bridge player.

In addition to her husband and daughter, Leigh is survived by a son, Keith Edward Leigh of Las Vegas; two sisters, Peggy Burke of Columbus, Ohio, and Miriam Reed of Detroit; a brother Stratton Kendrick, of Dayton; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.