Leslie Lee Carter

Leslie Lee Carter was born on February 23, 1956 to parents Jimmy Darnell Carter and Mary Elizabeth (née Edwards), in Chicago, IL.  Leslie possessed an innate passion for caring for others, which was exemplified in her 40-year career as nurse.  From a very young age, she knew that she wanted to be a nurse, initially telling this to her parents at just the age of 5 years old. Leslie recalled that on many occasions throughout her childhood she would tell her parents of her strong desire to be a nurse and to care for others.  Believing these were the youthful and playful imaginations of a child, her parents listened but thought she may change her mind in the years to come.  To their great delight, Leslie proved her dream true many years later by studying to become a nurse.  Her mother Mary lived to see her enter school to study to be a nurse, and her father Jimmy lived to see her graduate, and celebrated with her and her family when she received her nursing license.  Leslie’s 40-year career as a beloved nurse, caring for the sick and infirm was spent at Alden Lakeland Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, St. Bernard Hospital, University of Chicago Hospital, and finally at Warren Barr Gold Coast – Post-Hospital Rehabilitation Institute, where she retired in 2021.

At an early age, Leslie married her high school sweetheart, Roger Smith, who described Leslie as the love of his life.  Growing up on the west side of Chicago, Leslie was active in her local church and was a skilled majorette, participating in Chicago’s beloved Bud Billiken Day Parade, while Roger was highly skilled, decorated and sought-after local basketball player.  Having a passion and talent for basketball, Roger would spend many hours practicing on local basketball courts and Leslie would go to watch him and show support, up until a serious injury ended his sports career. 

Leslie was a loving and supportive mother who provided unyielding love and support to her children and their ambitions. She emphatically taught and modeled to her children that they were worthy and capable of anything.  She taught them to seek strength in God, through whom they could persevere through all of life’s challenges.  Such powerful and enveloping love and support would serve as the source of their persistence in working hard while growing up, and continues to sustain them today.

Beloved mother and grandmother Leslie passed away peacefully on September 9, 2025, in the company of her daughters and the devoted and caring team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, IL.  She is survived by her children, Antoinette, CaSandra, Natonya and Keyedward; her grandson Keyedward, Jr (KJ), her sister Patricia Hibler, her nephew Stewart Alexander Smith, and many extended family members and friends.    

"Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight.  We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

2 Corinthians 5: 6-8

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