Leon Linton Solomon, age 93, of Lake Mary, Florida, passed away on October 4, 2020, at his residence in Lake Mary, Florida. Leon was born on November 15, 1926, in Old Harbour Bay, in the parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica, West Indies. He was the eldest son of 12 children born to Harry and Thresilda (Harrison) Solomon.

Leon met his better half, Phyllis Una (Grant) Solomon, in Kingston, Jamaica, when their paths crossed at work. They began dating, fell deeply in love, and were married at the Kingston Parish Church after courting for about two years. They soon moved to Mandeville, to be close to Leon's new job at the Keiser Bauxite Company, and started their family. Three children were born to this union, Heather Dawn, Gregory Linton, and Michele Anthea. The family eventually moved to Meadowbrook, Kingston. Several years later, the couple made the difficult decision to immigrate to the United States in 1969, when Jamaica's economy took a serious downturn.

Already in their 40s, Leon, Phyllis, and their three children made the move to Springfield Gardens, in Queens, New York, with a determination to make a new life in the US. Leon worked multiple jobs, often sleeping only four hours a night, trying to create better opportunities for his family. Through hard work and disciplined saving, he and Phyllis were able to realize their dream of homeownership and purchased their first home on Long Island, in Baldwin, New York, less than two years after arriving in a new country.

Though having had to quit school at an early age to help his mother support the family following his father's premature passing, Leon used every mental faculty he had to his advantage. He spent countless nights at the kitchen table, studying for his real estate licensing exam, while working extra shifts at Kennedy Airport. He went on to became a licensed real estate broker in the state of New York. The couple retired to Lehigh Acres, Florida, as empty-nesters in 1979.

Leon was always grateful to the Lord for His many blessings, but especially for 93 healthy years of life, free of any serious ailments, until his diagnosis of lung cancer in mid-July, 2020. He enjoyed good music, authentic Jamaican food, had a wonderful sense of humor, and was known as "The Domino King" within his close circle of friends.

Leon's family was everything to him, and he often fell asleep amid the chatter and laughter of his children and grandchildren all around him. That is exactly how he slept away one recent Sunday afternoon as his children milled about his bedroom, gathering on and off at his bedside while he caught occasional glimpses of the latest breaking television news reports. He was a huge news junkie and watched every political narrative he could keep up with during the days. He also enjoyed watching his favorite game shows, "The Price is Right" and "Let's Make a Deal", smiling from ear to ear whenever someone won the big deal of the day.

Each night before he closed his eyes, Leon could be heard whispering a prayer, thanking God for another day and for the love of his family, calling each family member by name and petitioning the Lord on their behalf. He had an exceptionally melodious whistle and rich baritone voice, which he often used to whistle and hum his favorite hymns and oldies.

He was a member of the Oakwood University Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Huntsville, Alabama, where he and wife Phyllis resided for 12 years with their youngest child, Michele, and youngest grandson, Isaac. Their membership remained there, even after moving back to their home state of Florida in 2016 when Phyllis became critically ill.

Leon is survived by his two daughters, Heather Solomon and Michele Solomon; son, Gregory Solomon and wife, Karen (Urquhart) Solomon; three grandsons, Douglas Hodge and wife, Tazia (Griffiths) Hodge, Avron Hunter, Jr., and Isaac Solomon; three great-grandchildren, Brionna Hunter, Gianna Hodge, and Nathanael Hodge; two sisters, Gloria (Solomon) Flynn and Mavis Solomon; three brothers, Kennedy Solomon, Robert "Babbs" Solomon, and Carlton Solomon; plus numerous nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews scattered across the US, Jamaica, and the UK. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Phyllis, of 65 years, who passed to her rest on April 4, 2017.

In light of COVID, a private family memorial service will be held in Winter Springs, Fla. Leon will be sorely missed by family and friends. The Solomon family invites you to leave a message of condolence on the Tribute Wall created in his memory and thanks everyone for their expressions of love and support.