Reverend Leslie Rainey was called home to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, February 23, 2020.
Leslie was born in Norfolk, Virginia on December 31, 1937, to the late Leslie, Sr. and Helen Banner Rainey. He attended and graduated from St. Joseph’s Catholic School in 1956. After graduation, he immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served for four years. A full thirty years after graduation from high school, in 1986, he enrolled in college at Parkland College in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Leslie received his Masters’ Degree from Southern University, also in Baton Rouge. His lifelong profession was performing, directing and producing stage plays, which he did for over 50 years. He was the founder of the Church Street Theater Ensemble. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy Staley.
Leslie accepted Christ and later joined Second Calvary Baptist Church on December 8, 2004. He was licensed to the Gospel Ministry and later ordained as a minister on December 29, 2019. During his time at Second Calvary, Leslie served in the Praise and Worship Ministry as Ministry Team Leader for the Drama Ministry for ten years. He served with the Second Calvary Missions Team and took three trips to Lagos, Nigeria and one trip to Trinidad. His ministerial duties included establishment of a street ministry and preaching monthly at the Norfolk Rehabilitation Center and Union Mission.
Leslie leaves to cherish his memory, a son, Terrence Rainey of Honolulu, Hawaii; a sister, Regina McConnell of Silver Spring, Maryland; a granddaughter; a great granddaughter; a niece, Susan Brady of Silver Spring, Maryland; a nephew, Dudley McConnell, Jr. of Taiwan, China; and many loving cousins.