James Louis "Jimmy" Leake, Jr., 74, of Lebanon, passed away Monday, November 10, 2025 at Village of Lebanon Nursing Home.  Born May 23, 1951 in Marion County, Jimmy worked as a tile contractor.

In Jimmy's earlier life he was known as a rather "wild" individual, who loved motorcycles, loud Rock n Roll, having a good time, and living life going full speed ahead at all times. Jimmy had a confidence about him that was unmatched, and he had determination to match it. In his earlier years he moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, with his new bride, Jane, his love for the beach, and a dream. Using the skills he learned from working under his own father, Skeeter Leake, he started Jimmy Leake tile and created an extension of the trade that had helped to build the Leake family for many years. He became wildly successful, and his business grew rather quickly. His time in Florida provided himself, as well as his children, Chad, and his daughter, Gabrielle, with a beautiful childhood filled with countless memories and moments filled with love. After a couple decades of living what Jimmy called "fast time," he returned to Kentucky to be closer to family and transition back to life in "slow time." He missed the purity and love of the place he had always called home, and rebuilt here. He went from living on the Florida waters, to living on a farm with everything one could wish to have available on a piece of property in the country; plenty of land, woods, a creek, and a lake on the back side. After several happy years there, he decided to move to the Lake Cumberland area and started his career in truck driving and delivering for Tarter Gate company. During this time, he learned enough about the business to eventually open his own gate company, and named it Momoo's Farm, after his grandmother, where focused on gates custom made to order. Jimmy was a very resourceful person, and he had a skill of finding ways to do what others hadn't done before. When he found something he wanted, he would do whatever needed to make it happen. Through these years, as 'slow time' started to seep back into his pores, he became less and less materialistic, and more focused on God, his family, and doing whatever was needed to enrich that. He went from being a wild and unruly man with a passion for living life to the fullest, to a reserved and grateful man, but still had his spunk that could only come from someone with pure confidence in who they were on a spiritual level. He went from being someone who had the world at his fingertips and wanting it all in his hands, to being someone that still had the world at his fingertips, but knew he didn't need any of it in his hands anymore as long as the people he loved were okay. He was so very giving and charitable, and would quite literally give someone who was struggling the last $5 in his wallet, and he would help them to get back on their feet. Other than Jimmy's family, there was nothing he loved more in the world than his dogs. All of them were rescues, which he was passionate about. At any given time, if you saw Jimmy, you saw his dogs. He might not have all of them with him at all times, but you can guarantee that his best friend Toto would be, as he took him everywhere he went. Jimmy was loyal to a fault, and would allow himself to go without just to see those around him have it instead. He was the true definition of a Gemini in life, living a life with all the spoils and amenities in the first half, and transitioning into someone who needed nothing other than those he loved and God in his life. He passed his passion for God over to his children, and enriched their relationship with the Father, because, after all, it's the only thing that matters in the end. Jimmy has surely earned a seat in heaven, and to know him was a special thing. Those that love him considered him a special gift, and we are all so very grateful for the time we were given with him.

Jimmy was preceded in death by his parents, James Louis "Skeeter" Leake and Martha "Lois" Thompson Leake; one son, James Chadwick "Chad" Leake; one brother, Stephen Tyrone Leake.

Survivors include his daughter, Catherine Gabrielle Leake; one granddaughter, Braelyn Gabrielle Johnson; four siblings, Sidney Bryan Leake (Valarie), Laura Michelle Jones (Steve), Martha Lynne Dunn (David), and Mark Thompson Leake.  He also leaves behind a large extended family, including numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Saint Augustine Catholic Church, 235 S. Spalding Avenue, Lebanon.  Inurnment will follow in the church cemetery.

The visitation is 10 am – 11 am Saturday at the church.  Mattingly Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.