Leighton “Jake” Hall Dunham Jr., age 91, a native and lifelong resident of Slidell, Louisiana, passed away on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Slidell.

Jake was born April 20, 1935, to Leighton Hall Dunham Sr. and Lucille Bunn.

Jake grew up in typical smalltown America, graduating from Slidell High School in 1953 with the same friends he began first grade with twelve years earlier, who went on to become lifelong friends.

He spent many summers, with his grandfather Bunn, on the family sugarcane farm, where he learned that hard work brings rewards. That farm remains in production today, and is still owned by the family.

After attending LSU, Jake returned to Slidell where he worked for a number of years at Standard Materials. During that time he began to think about owning his own company, so he made it happen. In 1974, he started Slidell Marble Company, now Gulf States Marble Company, still owned and operated today, by his son David.

During these years, Jake, with his wife Dianne, developed a love for Thoroughbred Horse racing. He and Dianne bred, sold, and raced their horses for over four decades, traveling the country, meeting countless friends, experiencing the thrills, and disappointments, of course, yet never being deterred.

Jake will be missed by all who knew him. He was a kind and generous man who helped many get a head start in life.

He was blessed with a long and prosperous life, filled with much success and great happiness. Sadness intruded on occasion as it does with all of us, yet he remained thankful to his Lord and savior Jesus Christ. When Jake got his “last call to post”, surely he responded with great glee;

“When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”

These lyrics sum up all he believed. As he is reunited with all who have gone before him, together they will sing and shout the victory! Hallelujah!

Jake was preceded in death by his son, Russell Dunham; brother, Richard Pierce; and a granddaughter, Michelle Dunham.

He is survived by his wife of over fifty years, Dianne Barnes Dunham; three children, Diane “DeeDee” Dunham (Harold), David Dunham (Thomasina), Tommy Dunham (Julie); six grandchildren, Dalton Dunham (Alyssia), Leighton Tanner Dunham, Aubrie Dunham, Josh Dunham, Dunham H. Bock, Landon Dunham (Nikki); and a host of great-grandchildren.

Memorial Gifts may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, or Shriners Children’s Hospitals. Private services at a later date.