Leon Finney Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leon Finney Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
_(3x4a).jpg)
Finney in 2011
|
|
| Born |
Leon Dorsey Finney Jr.
July 7, 1938 Louise, Mississippi, U.S.
|
| Died | September 4, 2020 (aged 82) |
| Education | Hyde Park Academy High School University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (attended) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1964–2020 |
| Known for | Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church founder and minister |
| Spouse(s) |
Sharon M. Hall
(m. 1970; div. 1994)Georgette Greenlee
(m. 2002; div. 2019) |
| Children | 2 or 4 |
Leon Dorsey Finney Jr. (born July 7, 1938 – died September 4, 2020) was an important American minister, community leader, and businessman. He started and led the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church in Chicago. Finney was also well-known for his work with The Woodlawn Organization. This group helped improve the Woodlawn neighborhood in Chicago.
Early Life and School
Leon Finney Jr. was the oldest of six children. His father, Leon Sr., started the Leon's Bar-B-Q restaurants. His mother was Bertha Finney.
Finney was born in Louise, Mississippi. His family moved to Chicago when he was a young child. He spent some of his childhood in Chicago and also in Nashville, Tennessee, with his grandparents.
When he was 12, Finney moved back to Chicago for good. He went to Catholic school there. For high school, he attended Hyde Park Academy High School. He was part of the track team during his high school years. After finishing high school in 1957, Finney went to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. However, he later left college.
His Career and Community Work
In the early 1960s, Finney joined the United States Marine Corps. He worked as a policeman and an investigator there. After serving in the Marines, Finney returned to Chicago.
In 1964, Finney became involved with The Woodlawn Organization. He started as an organizer, helping to bring people together. By 1967, he became the Executive Director of the organization. In 1969, he also became president of the Woodlawn Community Development Corporation.
During the 1960s, Finney worked to help people in the Woodlawn area. He identified property owners who were not taking care of their buildings. Because of his efforts, Mayor Jane Byrne appointed him to the Chicago Plan Commission in May 1979. Through the Woodlawn Community Development Corporation, Finney helped manage public housing. He also managed other housing units that received government help.
In 2003, Finney bought a church building at 4100 South King Drive. He renamed it the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church. He became its founder and minister.
Personal Life
Leon Finney Jr. was married two times. He had at least two children, and some reports say he had four. His first marriage was to Sharon M. Hall in June 1970. They had two children together, Kristin and Leon III. They later divorced in 1994.
In June 2002, Finney married Georgette Greenlee. They later divorced in 2019. Leon Finney Jr. passed away on September 4, 2020. He died at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
