I’ve been fortunate to know the Father Center in two meaningful ways over the years. First, I had the honor of serving as a keynote speaker at its annual Platinum Dads Celebration roughly nine or ten years ago—an experience that stayed with me long after the event! Second, my colleague and close friend, Darryl Rivers, has always spoken with deep respect and admiration for the Father Center and the impact of your work, particularly in supporting men seeking to become skilled, independent, and self‑sufficient providers and role models.

More recently, the passing of my father has caused me to reflect deeply on the kind of life he lived and the values he embodied. My father was, in many ways, very much like the men the Father Center serves—resourceful, proud, hardworking, self‑taught, and focused on providing for his family through discipline and perseverance. Thinking about his journey sparked the idea of directing any memorial donations made in his name to an organization whose mission so closely reflects the values he lived every day.

Your donation will honor his legacy while supporting the Father Center’s ongoing work with local men in Trenton—men whose paths and challenges mirror his own story.

Every contribution made in my father's name name will go directly toward supporting men on their journeys toward self-sufficiency, skill-building, and engaged fatherhood — a living tribute to the life he modeled so well.

In Loving Memory of James Andrew Leatherwood, Jr. January 25, 1936 – April 23, 2026.
James Andrew Leatherwood, Jr., age 90, of Willingboro, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2026, in Burlington, New Jersey. Born on January 25, 1936, in rural Rupert, Georgia, James was the son of Reverend James A. Leatherwood, Sr. and Agnes Alberta Leatherwood. He came of age in the Jim Crow South, where hardship, segregation, and limited opportunity shaped his early years—but never diminished his character, dignity, or determination.

Maurice L. Coleman
National Head of Tax Equity Investments and Credit Lending
Commercial Real Estate- Community Development Banking
Bank of America

James Andrew Leatherwood, Jr. Memorial