Official Obituary of
Leonard Rashid Booker
February 5, 1956 ~ May 30, 2017 (age 61) 61 Years Old
Leonard Booker Obituary
Leonard (Rashid) Booker, 61, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was born on February 5, 1956 to the union of Gwendolyn Aiken and Joseph Anderson Booker in Cincinnati, Ohio. Leonard died unexpectedly on May 28, 2017 of a heart attack.
Leonard, the youngest of four children, grew up in Cincinnati and attended Cincinnati Public Schools. Besides his family, Leonard loved traveling and jazz. Soon after graduating from high school he moved to New York City, which fueled his passion for jazz and African- American culture.
In New York, he began his career by working at American Airlines as a flight attendant; he wore the uniform well, which was not surprising given his love of clothes and style. After his first trip to Europe he wanted to see more, and this led him to his second uniform.
Leonard enlisted in the U.S. Army, which allowed him to not only serve his country, but to see the world. Leonard and his wife, Willa Mae were stationed in Germany for many years, and spent time exploring Europe. In 1990, Leonard's unit was deployed to Kuwait during the Gulf War. After he left the Army, Leonard served in the U.S. Air Force reserve for five years. After his Army career, Leonard satisfied his travel bug by becoming a long-distance trucker.
He stayed in touch with family via cell phone calls during those long trips on the road. In his later years, Leonard took advantage of GI benefits to further his education, which he enjoyed immensely. He recently returned to long-distance trucking. Leonard's passion for jazz, and his love of jazz went far beyond listening to and collecting music. Leonard was a serious student of jazz and its role in American culture. Leonard was known to the jazz world as в??Rashid The Jazz Aficionado Booker.'
To help others better understand the role of jazz in African American history and culture, Leonard established a YouTube site and was an active blogger with many followers. Leonard's goal was to educate the world about jazz in an effort to keep the idiom alive. The Jazz Aficionado will be missed by his loving family and friends and always remembered with love and affection as a unique and original person.
Leonard was preceded in death by his mother Gwendolyn Aiken Booker on August 29, 2011 and his father, Joseph Anderson Booker, who passed away in December, 2014.
He is survived by his wife, Willa Mae Booker; his daughter, Mia Simone and son, Eric Rashid; four grandchildren, Ja'Veyon, Ja'Kai, Skylar, and Sky; his sisters, Phyllis Sloan and Joanne Booker; his brothers, Joseph Anderson and Ronald (Patricia) Booker; his niece Kalila Booker-Cassano and his nephew Darryl Allen Sloan.
An interview with Rashid The Jazz Aficionado Booker
http://www.nightjourneyrewind.com/home/night-journey-rewind-with-jazz-aficionado-rashid-booker#comments
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Visitation
Leonard, the youngest of four children, grew up in Cincinnati and attended Cincinnati Public Schools. Besides his family, Leonard loved traveling and jazz. Soon after graduating from high school he moved to New York City, which fueled his passion for jazz and African- American culture.
In New York, he began his career by working at American Airlines as a flight attendant; he wore the uniform well, which was not surprising given his love of clothes and style. After his first trip to Europe he wanted to see more, and this led him to his second uniform.
Leonard enlisted in the U.S. Army, which allowed him to not only serve his country, but to see the world. Leonard and his wife, Willa Mae were stationed in Germany for many years, and spent time exploring Europe. In 1990, Leonard's unit was deployed to Kuwait during the Gulf War. After he left the Army, Leonard served in the U.S. Air Force reserve for five years. After his Army career, Leonard satisfied his travel bug by becoming a long-distance trucker.
He stayed in touch with family via cell phone calls during those long trips on the road. In his later years, Leonard took advantage of GI benefits to further his education, which he enjoyed immensely. He recently returned to long-distance trucking. Leonard's passion for jazz, and his love of jazz went far beyond listening to and collecting music. Leonard was a serious student of jazz and its role in American culture. Leonard was known to the jazz world as в??Rashid The Jazz Aficionado Booker.'
To help others better understand the role of jazz in African American history and culture, Leonard established a YouTube site and was an active blogger with many followers. Leonard's goal was to educate the world about jazz in an effort to keep the idiom alive. The Jazz Aficionado will be missed by his loving family and friends and always remembered with love and affection as a unique and original person.
Leonard was preceded in death by his mother Gwendolyn Aiken Booker on August 29, 2011 and his father, Joseph Anderson Booker, who passed away in December, 2014.
He is survived by his wife, Willa Mae Booker; his daughter, Mia Simone and son, Eric Rashid; four grandchildren, Ja'Veyon, Ja'Kai, Skylar, and Sky; his sisters, Phyllis Sloan and Joanne Booker; his brothers, Joseph Anderson and Ronald (Patricia) Booker; his niece Kalila Booker-Cassano and his nephew Darryl Allen Sloan.
An interview with Rashid The Jazz Aficionado Booker
http://www.nightjourneyrewind.com/home/night-journey-rewind-with-jazz-aficionado-rashid-booker#comments
.
Visitation
JUN 7. 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (ET)
Renfro Funeral Services, Inc.
647 Forest Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45229
[email protected]
https://www.renfrofuneralservice.com
ServiceJUN 7. 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)
Renfro Funeral Services, Inc.
647 Forest Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45229
[email protected]
https://www.renfrofuneralservice.com
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