Rev. Arthur “Art” Horace Leslie, Sr., 96, died Tuesday, March 5, 2019, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. The funeral service will be held Friday, March 8, 2019, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. Chris DeGeorge officiating. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park in Grenada, Mississippi. The visitation will be held at the funeral home prior to the service beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Born in Emporium, Pennsylvania, to the late Horace Arthur and Pauline Thelma Crandell Leslie, Rev. Leslie graduated from Mississippi College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. First Sergeant Leslie served in the United States Army during WWII in the 633rd Engineering Company. He ministered for fourteen years in Southern Baptist Churches in Alabama and Mississippi and retired from 33 combined years of service as the Director of Associational Missions for both Lafayette/Marshall County Baptist Association and Grenada Baptist Association. Rev. Leslie also served as Boy Scout Chaplain, Royal Ambassador Camp Counselor, Teacher, Pastor, Chaplain of Civil Air Patrol, and two-term President of Mississippi Conference of Director of Missions. Brother Art was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo, MS, Civitan Club and American Legion Life Member.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Willie Joanna Pegg Leslie. Rev. Leslie is survived by two daughters, Judith Elaine Leslie Roberts and her husband, Mack, of Saltillo, Mississippi, and Sue Ellen Leslie Kemp and her husband, Greg, of Saltillo; two sons, Arthur H. Leslie, II of Meridian, Mississippi, and Russell Douglas “Rusty” Leslie and his wife, Tisha, of Oxford, Mississippi; 11 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions in Rev. Leslie’s memory may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1008, Tupelo, MS 38802.

In honor of Rev. Leslie’s service to his country, the flag of the United States Army will be flown at Waller Funeral Home. For additional information or to sign an online guestbook, please visit our website at www.wallerfuneralhome.com or call 662-234-7971.