From the Durham Herald-Sun:
DURHAM - Ladson Lee "Buddy" Leathers, 81, resident of 3702 Farmgate Dr., went home to be with his Lord, Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. at his home.
He was born in Lenoir County, the son of the late John L. and Alice Pearce Leathers. Buddy was a veteran of World War II and served overseas in the Army Air Force as Station Chief on a radar outpost on the Galapagos Islands. He founded Leathers TV Service in 1954 until 1976. He was a founder of Carolina Christian Communications and acquired an FCC Permit for Christian TV Station WLFL “Light for Living”. The Christian group was unable to finance building the TV Station and sold it’s permit to Family Television, Inc. which Buddy was an investor. Family Television later sold the TV station. In 1986, Buddy bought radio station WRBX, changed the call letters to WRTP and converted it to an all Christian format. He later added WRTG in Garner and WGSB in Mebane to form WRTP Radio network. Buddy and his wife gave the Radio network to Carolina Christian Communications in 1994. Buddy continued to serve as the Volunteer Executive Director. Carolina Christian merged with Radio Training Network in August 2000 and added an FM Station and an FM Satellite network which now broadcasts the Gospel over Central and Eastern North Carolina. Buddy brought the first Charter Awana Program for boys and girls to North Carolina. He was a member and Elder of Dayspring Fellowship and was a Gideon.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Billie Oakley Leathers; three daughters, Linda L. Dixon and husband, Elmer of Holly Springs, Brenda L. Blackwood and husband, David of Cary and Alice L. Quesenberry and husband, Fred of Durham; six grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 11 a.m. in Clements Funeral Chapel by Rev. Mac Bare. Burial will follow with military honors in Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Clements Funeral Home.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Dayspring Baptist Fellowship Church Global Impact Missions Offering, 920 Ninth St., Durham, N.C. 27705; or to the Gideons, PO Box 15303, Durham, NC 27704.
Arrangements by - Clements Funeral Service, Inc.
DURHAM - Ladson Lee "Buddy" Leathers, 81, resident of 3702 Farmgate Dr., went home to be with his Lord, Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. at his home.
He was born in Lenoir County, the son of the late John L. and Alice Pearce Leathers. Buddy was a veteran of World War II and served overseas in the Army Air Force as Station Chief on a radar outpost on the Galapagos Islands. He founded Leathers TV Service in 1954 until 1976. He was a founder of Carolina Christian Communications and acquired an FCC Permit for Christian TV Station WLFL “Light for Living”. The Christian group was unable to finance building the TV Station and sold it’s permit to Family Television, Inc. which Buddy was an investor. Family Television later sold the TV station. In 1986, Buddy bought radio station WRBX, changed the call letters to WRTP and converted it to an all Christian format. He later added WRTG in Garner and WGSB in Mebane to form WRTP Radio network. Buddy and his wife gave the Radio network to Carolina Christian Communications in 1994. Buddy continued to serve as the Volunteer Executive Director. Carolina Christian merged with Radio Training Network in August 2000 and added an FM Station and an FM Satellite network which now broadcasts the Gospel over Central and Eastern North Carolina. Buddy brought the first Charter Awana Program for boys and girls to North Carolina. He was a member and Elder of Dayspring Fellowship and was a Gideon.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Billie Oakley Leathers; three daughters, Linda L. Dixon and husband, Elmer of Holly Springs, Brenda L. Blackwood and husband, David of Cary and Alice L. Quesenberry and husband, Fred of Durham; six grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 11 a.m. in Clements Funeral Chapel by Rev. Mac Bare. Burial will follow with military honors in Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Clements Funeral Home.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Dayspring Baptist Fellowship Church Global Impact Missions Offering, 920 Ninth St., Durham, N.C. 27705; or to the Gideons, PO Box 15303, Durham, NC 27704.
Arrangements by - Clements Funeral Service, Inc.