Leon McCoy, formerly of Leighton, Alabama was born to the late Susie Mae McCoy and Rufus Harris Sr in Sheffield, Alabama. He was baptized at Mount New Home Missionary Baptist Church in Leighton at a young age. He departed this life on September 20, 2024. Leon received his education at Colbert County High School in Leighton where he was an active member of the football and basketball team. After high school, he worked briefly for Robbins Tire in Tuscumbia, Alabama. He would later go on to make history by becoming the first and only disabled African American employee of the City of Sheffield with the Street and Sanitation Department as a Sanitation Worker for 23 years until his retirement in 2015.
His father, Rufus Harris Sr, and mother, Susie Mae McCoy preceded him in death. Leon is also preceded in death by his stepfather, R.B Walker, his two brothers, James Harris and Willie McCoy, his niece, Pamela Walker and his grandson, Jayden McCoy.
He leaves to cherish his memory, his three daughters: Aisha McCoy, Jessica McCoy, Megan McCoy (Timothy), two sisters: Vivian McCoy and Dale Stanley (Richard) and a brother: Rufus Harris Jr (Rosetta), a girlfriend, Sherry Long and two ex-wives: Verna Thirlkill and Vicki McCoy. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren: Shamari Thirlkill, Tavaris Thirlkill, Tamya Thirlkill, Jalen Thirlkill, CJ Horton, Christian Turner, Khamani Stanley, Cameron Cole and Ariyah Cole, six nieces, a nephew, Andre McCoy (Taneeka), special friends: Lieutenant Chris Tate of the Sheffield Police Department, O’neal Bates, Robert Holden, Jeffery “Bodine” Gregory, James “Brian” Maroney, Dalton Broussard, Tony Price and Kim Knight of One Stop Rentals and a host of cousins and other loved ones.
