Leon W. Smith, Jr. was born on July 14, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, to proud parents Irene and the late Leon William Smith, Sr. He received his early education in the public school system before attending Borough Hall Academy Junior High School and Queens Day Preparatory High School. He went on to study at Gannon College in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he played on both the basketball and soccer teams. Later, he transferred to Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, majoring in Business Management.

Before joining the FDNY on February 27, 1982, Leon held appointments with both the NYC Department of Transportation and the NYC Department of Sanitation, and also worked as a Mental Health Therapist.

Leon’s dream of becoming a firefighter began early—by the age of nine, he knew it was his calling. He was often found at the local firehouse near his family’s home, much to his mother’s concern. His father reassured her, saying, “At least you know he’s safe there.”

Leon was generous to the core. As a child, he once gave his winter coat to a classmate in need, knowing he had others at home. He was mechanically inclined, building miniature race cars with working engines before moving on to real car engines, earning the nickname “Firehouse Auto Mechanic.”

Outside the firehouse, Leon was a man of many talents. He worked as a disc jockey alongside his close friend Rick Fowler under the name “The Slicksters!” He also played in numerous charity basketball games and was a proud member of the Vulcan Society, an organization of Black firefighters. Leon performed with his colleague Vernon Cherry and other firefighters in a benefit concert for a young woman battling leukemia through the organization Songs of Love.

Leon even appeared as a firefighter on NBC’s New York-based series “Third Watch.” Whether through his work, his hobbies, or his volunteerism, Leon’s life was a testament to kindness, service, and joy.