Janet Leak

Janet Darcel Davis Leak was born on November 16, 1951, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Janet (“Pie” as she was affectionately known) was the eldest of five children born to the late James and Clara (Tilghman) Davis, Jr. On Saturday, May 6, 2023, she went home to the Lord, after sustained, long-term health issues. Janet was deeply imaginative and creative. Some would say she had always been a dreamer. The kind to lie in the grass and stare up at the clouds. You could see it in her sense of style and presence. Janet was a woman of God and a member of Bethany Baptist Church (Pittsburgh) where she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior. Janet attended Westinghouse High School and later the University of Pittsburgh. She married Eugene Stanley Leak and the two welcomed Tia-Nicole Leak, their only child, on July 22, 1972. Janet had many passions in life. She was a staunch advocate for social justice and as a social worker, she served and worked with disadvantaged youth and elderly populations throughout the Baltimore area. Janet continued to serve the communities of Baltimore through her membership as a longtime parishioner of Bethel AME Church, Baltimore. Janet had always been an out-of-the-box thinker; an innovator, long before such words became fashionable. Janet was fiercely competitive, strategic, and smart. You’d get a glimpse of these qualities if you dared to sit down with her for a game of chess, or challenged her in a game of pool, spades, or Uno. Janet loved language, the written word, and a good debate. Perhaps her greatest passion was her creation and publication of an independent Newspaper, WomanScope focused on spotlighting pioneering women and girls and issues affecting them locally and nationally. She pursued this passion for more than a decade. Many will remember Janet’s smile and personality and the ways both could fill a room. She loved her family deeply. Janet was especially proud of her daughter Tia-Nicole (Nu Nu) whom she insisted could also dream, live boldly, and become anything she wanted. Janet loved music and a good hand dance. She loved people and made friends wherever she went. Janet leaves behind to remember and celebrate her life: daughter, Dr. Tia-Nicole Leak, daughter-in-law, Dr. Garnette Cotton; sisters, Ms. Sheila Mae Adams and Mrs. Charmaine Hunt; brother-in-law, Mr. Brian Hunt; brothers, Mr. James Davis, III. and Mr. Charles Ernest Davis; nieces, Tamara, Carla, Cherie, Alana and Michelle; nephews, Miles, Aaron, Seth and Troy; a host of great nieces and nephews, cousins and many friends.

Tributes

Janet Leak

November 16, 1951 - May 6, 2023