Leland Jeffery Compton, Jr.

Be sure to check out the memento page for a large assortment of photos of Leland throughout his life, as well as an enormous playlist with all of his favorite music! If you would like to share a story or a memory you can write a post here on the memorial page, or leave a voicemail for Jeff and Chris at a number we've set-up for just that. Just give a ring to (410) 871 8761.

 

Leland Jeffery Compton, Jr., who loved and was loved by many, passed from this life in the second week of September 2025. He lived a storied life and is remembered for his impassioned enthusiasm for music, food, animals, and the richness of life; as a man who loved his children and granddaughter; and as a warmly generous spirit who charmed all he encountered.

 

For Leland, work was a roaming journey fueled by the excitement of possibilities and punctuated by moments of personal victory. In his youth, he worked on a racing pit crew. He then became a jeweler; helping start the successful and still functioning business of Baltimore Gold & Silver. He sold cars, cell phones in the ‘90s, and perhaps his proudest achievement, ran his own restaurant, Kitchen at the Meck, within the Mecklenburg Inn in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. 

 

Each venture trailed alongside it memorable moments and expressions of character. From one of the owners of Baltimore Gold remarking that Leland was the only person he knew who could pick up a piece of silver flatware and guess to the gram its precious metal weight, to all of those who witnessed and benefitted from his ingenious work and creations in silver and gold. There’s the tale of locking himself in the trunk of a car to demonstrate its safety features to the shock and surprise of its future owners. And all of the regular patrons of his restaurant similarly share my perpetual longing for a Meck foot-long chili dog and a pineapple chicken sandwich topped in Wonder Sauce.

 

Above all, Leland loved his family, his close friends, and the women of his life. The woman that reigned highest over his heart was his only granddaughter, Lavinia. His love for his children and his granddaughter is consistently mentioned in the fore of things about Leland. He loved with excitement, admiration, and full-heartedness.

 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leland, Sr. and Hazel Compton, and leaves behind his sisters, Toni Archer and Robin Schneider; his two sons, Leland Jeffery Compton, III and Christopher John Compton; and his granddaughter Lavinia June Compton.