The Town of Duck Hill mourns the loss of a trailblazer, alderman and a friend to many. Alderman Leroy Nash died Thursday, November 12, 2019 at his home under hospice care.
Funeral services for Nash were held at Binford Chapel United Methodist Church in Duck Hill where Nash was a member.
Nash, 77, was born and raised in Duck Hill. After he enlisted in the United States Army and received an Honorable Discharge, Nash moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey where he worked for the postal service before becoming an insurance agent for Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance Company. He also worked with Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance Company. He and his wife Sally, have three children, Bernard, Marshella and Verline.
He worked with Prudential for 25 years, working his way through the company to become a Major Losses and Arson Investigator. His work with Prudential took him to New Orleans, La., and Dallas, Texas, before coming back to Duck Hill to retire.
However, he didn’t just sit down and rest; Nash was still an active member of the Duck Hill community.
Nash was instrumental in starting Duck Hill’s annual Christmas Parade, which is still ongoing today. He served as an alderman for the Town of Duck Hill for four years and served one term as vice mayor. He served as a parade worker and worked for the people of Duck Hill to improve the community.
“I had the privilege of working with Mr. Nash for over 20 years and was always impressed with his desire to make things better. He was steadfast in his beliefs and stuck to his guns when he felt he was doing what was in the best interest of Duck Hill and our citizens,” Mayor Joey Cooley said. “He was instrumental in helping to develop the book on the history of Duck Hill and brought our Christmas parade back and helped it to grow each year. My prayer is his replacement has the same passion and commitment to serve the people of Duck Hill as he did.”
As alderman, Nash was vocal about what he believed and was respected by every member of the board and of the community.
“He was a great alderman and a great friend,” City Clerk LaSonja Sizemore said. “When he made his decisions, he made them fairly. Some liked them and some didn’t, but he made them based on his beliefs. He’s going to be greatly missed.”
Nash also came up with Duck Hill slogan “A Place Called Home.”
“Mr. Nash was a dedicated public servant who loved Duck Hill, a phrase he coined, ‘a place called home.’ His leadership and courage was an asset to our community. He will truly be missed,” said Al White, director of Action Communication and Education Reform based in Duck Hill.
It’s clear that Nash left his imprint on the Town of Duck Hill and is remembered fondly by all.
“Nash was one of a kind. He was that guy who was willing to help no matter what. It was very rare, in this day and age, to find a friend you can trust and depend on. Nash was one you could depend on,” Alderwoman Lavonda Farmer said. “He loved the Town of Duck Hill. He would fight for our town until he couldn’t fight anymore. He was an optimist and it was his positive attitude that helped him accomplish whatever extra mile to do is best.
If his name was tagged to it, you better believe he was going to give it his all. He all about keeping up his reputation. But above all his professional qualities and achievements, the one thing I admired about him the most was that he was a family man. He loved his family. I married his nephew, Earvin, and he made sure I knew that was his nephew, lol. He often invited us into his home for holiday gatherings, because he loved being around family and friends. This holiday will not be the same with Nash. But, I will remember him as a person who could help you find a rainbow before it stops raining.”
