John H. "Jack" Leadley Jr.

December 19, 1950 - March 15, 2017

SPECULATOR — John Henry “Jack” Leadley Jr., 66, Speculator, unexpectedly passed away the night of March 15 at Albany Medical Center. A son of John Henry Leadley Sr. and Joan Weaver Leadley, he was born Dec. 19, 1950. He is survived by his parents, his sister Lynn, and his brother Rick. He graduated Wells Central School as salutatorian of the Class of 1969 and Notre Dame College in South Bend, Ind. in 1973 with a BA in English and Modern Languages. He spent his sophomore year (1970-71) studying in Angers, France. He worked for six years for Conway Shipping in the World Trade Center in New York City before returning home to become editor of Hamilton County News; and then a copy editor at The [Glens Falls] Post-Star, Investors Business Daily in Los Angeles, The [Amsterdam] Recorder, and finally The [Albany] Times Union for many years. As a young man Jack converted to the Roman Catholic faith. He was a member of St. James RC Church in Lake Pleasant. In the early 1980s he joined a local boxing club, Lords of the Ring, calling himself Kid Kelvinator. A history buff, he was proud of his roots in the Town of Lake Pleasant dating back to the first settlers in 1794. He was also a big fan of singer Kate Smith and often made the pilgrimage to her mausoleum in Lake Placid. He loved to travel and play cards and Monopoly. Jack was a wonderful conversationalist. An anglophile who referred to the Revolutionary War as “the recent unpleasantness across the pond,” his humor was understated and often sly. He called his cabin in the woods “Sandringham” after Sandringham House in Norfolk, England, owned by Queen Elizabeth II, whom he truly loved; and his house on State Route 30 “The Palace.” David J. Jones, a long-time friend, remembers, “During the Watergate hearings, Jack and I went to McSorley's Irish Pub in New York City one night. It was crowded and noisy… We could barely hear each other… After a few beers, with no warning, his Imperial Altitude stood, and sang in his best Kate Smith impersonation a stirring rendition of ‘God Bless America.’ Except for his singing, the place fell absolutely silent. When he finished, despite the roar of cheers and applause, he sat down as if nothing had happened.” A memorial service will be held Wednesday, March 29, at 11 a.m. at St. James RC Church in Lake Pleasant.