Leonard B. Cathey

Leonard B. Cathey was born in Newark, New Jersey on April 28, 1950 to the late Church and Mary Cathey. He was educated in the Newark public schools and graduated from Central High School in 1968. He went on to earn an Associate degree in Social Work from Essex County College and worked for several years as a counselor with children in the city. During this period he embraced the Muslim faith at Temple #3.

In 1978 Leonard moved to Cincinnati, where he would spend the rest of his life. He continued working in counseling before becoming an entrepreneur, opening a small shop on Vine Street that sold clothing and jewelry. It was there that he met Sherrie, whom he married in 1987. Though the marriage later ended in divorce, he carried through life with a deep respect for its preciousness and a quiet commitment to living with purpose according to the will of Allah. He loved people and cherished the places that mattered to him, especially his longtime home at Eden Park Apartments, where he formed a close and enduring friendship with Jackie Knott.

Leonard passed away suddenly on March 1, 2026. He was predeceased by his father Church Cathey, his mother Mary Cathey, his sister Carolyn Cathey, and his dear friend Jackie Knott. He leaves to cherish his memory his son Al-Kashif Marshell, his brother Philip Cathey, his sister Gail Cathey-McCoy, his nieces Fatimah Cathey, Furaha Cathey, and Tuwisha Rogers, his nephew Tariq Rogers, his great-nephew Ibnkalif Cathey, and a host of other family members and friends.