Leslie Gail Ferguson was born June 17, 1948 in Lafayette, Indiana to Lyle Ray Hunter, a Pharmacist and WWII Veteran, and Theda Barbara Hunter (nee Padgett). She was raised in the small town of Kentland, Indiana alongside her two younger brothers.

The family moved to South Texas when Leslie was a young teen. She spent her time working in her father's pharmacy as well as participating in marching band and various clubs at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School. She graduated in 1966 and was accepted into the prestigious Rice University. However, young love took priority for Leslie and she returned to South Texas after her Freshman year.

Leslie entered into her only marriage with Harvey Jack Ferguson, Jr on April 27, 1969. He immediately shipped off for basic with the U.S. Navy and she joined him some months later in Japan. 

After 3 years in Japan with the Navy, they returned to the States and joined The Way International Ministries. Both attended The Way College of Biblical Research in Indiana, graduated with advanced certifications, and traveled to various parts of the country with the Ministry. Leslie also earned her Bachelor’s in Accounting from Pan American University in Edinburg, TX.

After 14 years of marriage and many years of praying, Jeremy Jack was born in 1983 in Atlanta, GA. Leslie and Jack soon returned to Texas to be closer to family where Leslie settled in as a homemaker and welcomed another child, Jessica Amarys, in 1986, in San Antonio.

A job opportunity for Jack brought the family back to Georgia in 1990 where they settled in Newnan on the south side of Atlanta. Leslie could often be seen volunteering at her kids’ schools or cheering for them on the sidelines at soccer games. The couple separated in 1999 and Leslie raised her kids as a single mother, sometimes working four jobs to support her family.

Leslie spent several years as a school bus driver with Coweta County School System as well as handing out lunches to the students at the Central Education Center. She also spent a decade as a tax preparer with Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

In the late 2000s, with her children grown and her mother Theda's health in decline, Leslie moved back to Texas to help care for her mother until her death in 2016. In December of that year Leslie returned to Georgia to be with her children and grandchildren.

Stricken with Rheumatoid Arthritis in the early 2000s she saw her physical health break down somewhat rapidly. She rebounded from her first stroke in 2008 fairly easily with help from the Warm Springs Rehabilitation Center but her arthritis continued to cripple her and she was forced to use a walker or wheel chair the remainder of her life. 

In December of 2018, she broke her leg and was admitted to the Southland Health & Rehabilitation Center in Peachtree City. Later transferred to the Renaissance Center in Griffin, she worked for four years to try to regain her mobility but was unsuccessful. 

On April 4th 2023, Leslie suffered a second stroke, this time affecting her mind more than her body. She suffered from aphasia but did spend another week visiting with her children and grandchildren. On April 12th, a blood clot was found in her femoral artery and she entered into surgery the next day to clear the clot. The surgeon was successful in clearing the clot from her leg but other complications arose following surgery for which her medical team had no solutions. Leslie passed away peacefully on April 18, 2023 at Wellstar Spalding Medical Center with her son and daughter by her side.

Leslie was preceded in death by her beloved father & mother in 1987 and 2016 respectively. She is survived by her two brothers, Lyle Hunter II and Jesse Lee Hunter both of Texas, her exchange sister Liisa Karppinen of Finland, her son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Jamie of Sharpsburg, GA and her daughter Jessica and son-in-law Steve of Reno, NV as well as her 6 grandchildren: Jasmine, Chloe, Braelyn, Isabella, William, & Blaze and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Leslie will be remembered as a loving mother & grandmother, a believer in Jesus Christ, an avid reader, a lover of all things chocolate, a smart individual and often times a smart-ass. She had a loud infectious laugh and a healthy sense of humor. Before her first stroke, she had a beautiful singing voice which she used often, sometimes to the embarrassment of her children. She was equal parts hard-headed and tender-hearted. She will be missed greatly by those who knew her but she will live on in our hearts forever.

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