IRVINGTON—Leland Thomas James passed away peacefully on July 23, 2026, at his home in Irvington. He was born February 10, 1938, in Baltimore to Virginia and Linwood James. His life was marked by a remarkable legacy of service, dedication and love.
He attended Gilman School and St. Andrew’s (DE) before going to his beloved UVA where he majored in geography. Some of his best memories were of Delta Phi (St. Elmo) and the lifelong friends he made. From Air Force ROTC he became an officer in the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Counter-intelligence Division, in New York. After the Air Force, Leland graduated from the executive training program at Morgan Guaranty Trust Co. and joined Hohner Inc., eventually becoming president, chief executive officer and director. He moved Hohner to Richmond in the early 1980s. When he left Hohner, he bought Camelot Pewter and ran it until the late 1990s, when he retired.
Leland found new interests in retirement: cooking, model railroading, reading about John Singleton Mosby and the SAR. One of his proudest accomplishments was being chairman of the Chesapeake Hall capital campaign at Chesapeake Academy. He was also actively involved with the River Counties Community Foundation for six years, serving as chairman of the grants committee for four of them. Leland was a member of the Chesapeake Bank Northern Neck Advisory Board and on the board of Chesapeake Wealth Management for several years.
Leland was predeceased by his father (d. 1942), his mother, Virginia Cooney; stepfather, William Cooney; and son, Ian James.
He is survived by his wife, Marion; sons, Stuart (Kathe) and Leland; grandchildren, Ali (Nic) Leask, Elizabeth James, Avery James and Wilder James; and great-granddaughter, Eleanor Leask.
A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. August 6 at Currie Funeral Home, Kilmarnock. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Chesapeake Academy, the Youth Fund at River Counties Community Foundation, or to a charitable organization of your choice.
