SUSAN JOY MCKINNEY/OUR COMMUNITY
Tamera Leek and her father, Timothy L. Leek Sr., pose for a photo in the office of the family-owned business, Leek & Sons Funeral Home.
Timothy & Tamera Leek
Leek has philosophical attitude toward pandemic
BY MARY WICOFF
[email protected]
DANVILLE — As a man of faith,
Timothy L. Leek Sr. follows the philosophy,
“Live for today and tomorrow
will take care of itself.”
Like other funeral directors, Leek
is taking precautions in the midst
of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he
doesn’t obsess over it.
“I don’t keep it on my mind. I just
do what I need to do,” he said. “I just
take it day by day.”
Leek is second-generation owner
of the Leek & Sons Funeral Home at
304 E. Williams and Urbana Champaign
Chapel at 1215 W. Bradley
Ave., Urbana. He started work with
12 OUR COMMUNITY 2020
FYI
Learn more at https://www.
leekandsonsfuneralhome.com/
Videos of homegoing celebrations are
shown on the Facebook page.
his father, J. Carlyle Leek Sr., who
founded the business in 1956.
Even before the pandemic, staff
at Leek & Sons Funeral Home was
meticulous about cleanliness. Now,
there’s even more cleaning and disinfecting
of surfaces, such as door
handles, to make sure everyone is
safe. Visitors are required to wear
masks and use sanitizer.
Leek said funeral directors are
trained in sanitary science, and to be
alert to possible transmissions.
His philosophy is: Always be
ready. Don’t take anything for
granted.
He learned that philosophy during
the HIV disease epidemic in the
1980s.
“Everyone was worried and tried
to be cautious,” he recalled.
Leek & Sons follows guidelines
set by the Illinois Funeral Directors
Association and the Centers for
Disease Control.
When the state ordered a shutdown
of non-essential businesses
and restrictions in March, Leek said
there was a viewing set for a family.
That proceeded, but there was no
service.