Leland Drew King was born April 30, 1956 in Albany, Georgia. He transitioned on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 in his Atlanta home surrounded by his wife and siblings. Leland was the third of five children of celebrated civil rights Attorney C.B. King and Carol Roumaine King of Albany, Georgia. An exceptionally skilled master model builder in the field of architecture, Leland started early in his youth creating and constructing objects and spaces of all kinds, from elaborate pagoda-style bird cages made of wild bamboo he hand-harvested, to model airplanes, cars and battleships, to life-sized spaces, crafted from found objects. It would serve as an early indicator of his chosen profession, and how he would spend the rest of his professional career. Leland was formally educated at multiple schools in Albany, including Hazard Laboratory School, Madison Elementary School, St. Teresa's School and Merry Acres Jr. High School. At age 15, he headed to New England after an acceptance to The Putney School in Putney, Vermont, where he thrived in the arts, and helped build not only the architectural model for the School's new art building, but also helped construct the art building with fellow schoolmates. After graduating, and with an eye toward attending law school like his father, he majored in political science at Boston University before abandoning those plans. Leland spent the next three years, weighing the direction of his professional path, serving as a short order cook in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a janitor at Harambee Child Development Center and a dorm head at Turner Job Corps in Albany, Georgia, Leland eventually returned to his passion for design. In 1982, he studied architecture at Cogswell College (now part of University of California at Davis) in San Francisco, California. In 1988, he studied architecture at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida. During summers and academic breaks at both architecture schools, Leland worked as a model builder for professional model shops in both San Francisco and Atlanta, among whose biggest clients was John Portman Architects of Atlanta. He would eventually be recruited for Portman Holdings, where he was promoted to the leadership position, chief model builder, working closely with the late architect and global developer John Portman. Leland spent nearly 30 years with Portman until his retirement in 2020. He met his future lifelong partner, Priscilla Hubbard of Atlanta, in 2002, and in 2012 the couple married. He passed at home with the love of his life. In addition to Priscilla, Leland is also survived by his four siblings, Atty. Chevene B. King, Jr. of Albany, Kenyon D. King of Houston, Texas, Peggy King Jorde of Englewood, New Jersey and Clennon L. King of Albany, Georgia. Leland is survived as well by a stepdaughter Nichelle Campbell and step son-in-law Darcy Campbell, and two step grandchildren, Brooke and Cameron. His survivors also include his parents-in-law Lillie Mae and John Wesley Hubbard, Sr. and a brother-in-law, John Wesley Hubbard, Jr. Finally, he also leaves multiple nieces, nephews and other family members. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to the National Organization of Minority Architects' (NOMA) Charitable Education Foundation, partnering with HBCU's to foster opportunities for talented and underrepresented students studying architecture.
