Leslie Alexander McLean, II

Leslie Alexander McLean, II, age 84, of Tallahassee, Florida, passed away on January 18, 2025. Born in Louisville, Kentucky on June 12, 1940, to Leslie Cameron McLean and Dorothy Elizabeth Doyel McLean, Les was raised in Louisville, educated at Country Day School, and then moved to Miami, Florida and later Pensacola, Florida. After serving in the United States Army, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business with a focus on Insurance, Real Estate, and Finance from Florida State University and was a proud member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He furthered his education with graduate studies at the ABA Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin and the ABA National School of Real Estate at The Ohio State University. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, Les joined his father’s mortgage loan company in Pensacola, where he met and married Arwena Bell. They moved to Atlanta, GA, where Les worked for Wachovia Bank, and eventually settled in Tallahassee to raise a family. Les became Senior Vice President of Barnett Bank and later Executive Vice President - Chief Administration Officer at SunTrust Bank. After a brief retirement, Les worked as a Real Estate Broker at NAI/Talcor Commercial Real Estate Services and as President of Southern Highland Investments, LLC. He was later called back into banking, serving as City President at Peoples First Community Bank, where he continued his career until retiring in 2008 after 44 years in the industry. A committed community leader, Les served in numerous roles, including Chairman of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority, Chairman of the Tallahassee/Leon County Planning and Zoning Commission, President of the Tallahassee Mortgage Banking Association, President of the Tallahassee YMCA, and as a director on the board of SunTrust Bank of Tallahassee. He was also a member of the Leon High School Foundation, the Economic Club of Florida, Northside Rotary, and the Tallahassee and National Board of Realtors. A lifelong Florida State University supporter, Les was also a Life Trustee for The Biletnikoff Foundation. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Arwena Bell McLean; daughters Meredith McLean DaSilva (Sean) of Tallahassee, Florida, and Leslie Ann McLean Thompson (Michael) of Charlotte, North Carolina; and five grandchildren: Carson DaSilva, Langley DaSilva, McLean Thompson, Adams Thompson, and Camille Thompson. He is also survived by his brother, David Speed McLean of Louisville, Kentucky. Les was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie Cameron McLean and Dorothy Elizabeth Doyel McLean, and his beloved grandmother, Ruby Korb Thomas. Les will be deeply missed and will be remembered for his selfless generosity and unwavering dedication to his loving family, his work, and his community. A memorial service will be held at Faith Presbyterian Church 2200 North Meridian Road, Tallahassee on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 3 p.m., followed by a reception at Bevis Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Breakthrough T1D (Juvenile Diabetes) at https://www.breakthrought1d.org/ The family extends their thanks to Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home for assisting with arrangements. For further information, please contact Bevis Funeral Home at (850-385-2193) or visit www.bevisfh.com.

Tributes

Leslie Alexander McLean, II

June 12, 1940 - January 18, 2025