James Leaster Gilleylen

Obituary

James Leaster Gilleylen was born on December 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, to the union of the late Leaster Gilleylen and Ontario Maggielie Gilleylen, who settled and married in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1942.

When James was young, he was welcomed into the loving home of his late aunt and uncle, Alion Tolbert and Fairy Belle Tolbert, where he was raised alongside his cousins, Anthony Tolbert and Doris (Lorraine) Mason, whom he lovingly considered his brother and sister. Throughout his life, James also credited his Aunt Victoria Barlow as an additional motherly figure who played an important role in his upbringing.

James graduated from Northern High School in 1963 and went on to work for both Ford Motor Company and General Motors for several years.

In 1973, James married the love of his life, Sylvia (Summers). Their union included Sylvia's son, the late Thomas Summers, and was blessed with two daughters, Jamitzka Gilleylen and Ameerah (Jan) El-Johnson.

James adored his wife and children and truly embraced being a family man. He took great pride in providing for his family and creating a life filled with travel, fine dining, Catholic private school education, and regular cultural experiences. A hands-on father, James was actively involved in every aspect of his children's lives—from potty training and homework to school pick-ups, parent-teacher conferences, and cooking whenever his wife needed time to study or rest.

In 1976, James and Sylvia founded J&G Janitorial Services, which grew to serve well-known local establishments, including the Comedy Castle of Royal Oak, Bennigan's Restaurant Chain, Fox Theatre, Ripley's Bakery, Norms Restaurant Chain, Victoria Station, and the Old Birmingham Train Station.

J&G was truly a family affair, with all three children learning the business by James's side. Civic-minded and generous, James hired employees from his community and taught many neighborhood young people the value of hard work, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance. He successfully operated the business for 30 years before retiring.After retirement, James continued serving others by working as a transporter at Harper Hospital, motivated by his desire to give back to the community. During this time, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and renal kidney failure. Despite these challenges, he continued working throughout his treatments, often saying there was always someone who had it worse than he did. James frequently shared that his faith in God sustained him through cancer and endured him through dialysis treatments.James was a faithful Christian who believed in God as the head of his life. He accepted Christ at a young age and remained devoted to God's teachings throughout his life. He was always quick to offer a comforting scripture to those in need and kept his trusted Bible by his bedside for daily encouragement. He often called his children simply to read scripture and share God's Word with them.James was a loving and affectionate grandfather who cherished time with his grandchildren. He made weekly visits, always arriving with their favorite candy treats. An avid sports fan, James faithfully supported his Detroit Lions for decades. He also enjoyed watching classic Westerns and listening to Motown music, especially The Temptations, his favorite group and childhood friends.James peacefully departed this life on December 5, 2025, with his granddaughter Xtaviaa by his side.He leaves to cherish his memory his daughters, Jamitzka Gilleylen and Ameerah (Jan) El-Johnson (Son in law Horace Johnson III); his grandchildren, Christopher Summers, Brandon Summers, Xtaviaa Weems, Noah Johnson, and Nolan Johnson; his great-grandson, Zion Summers; his sister, Doris Mason; his first cousins, Jacqueline Harris, Anthony Price, Gregory Price, and John Smitherman; his nieces, Shawn LeSuer, Cheryl Harewood, and LaTonya Archer; his nephew, Anthony Watkins; and a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and friends.All other immediate family members preceded him in death.

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