Freda Allene Leeper was born to Mable and Fred Douglas Leeper on January 28, 1948 in San Francisco, CA. Along with her “Big Brother” Donald, Freda attended St. Dominic’s Elementary School in the City’s Western Addition (“The Fillmore”) and graduated from George Washington High School on June 16, 1966.

Due to its vibrant black culture social scene between the 1950’s and 1970’s, San Francisco’s Fillmore district was widely regarded as the “Harlem of the West” and was Freda’s familial and cultural home. 824 Divisadero Street was the absolute center of Freda’s life; it was the place where she not only bonded with friends and family, it was where she developed her true love of black and international multicultural life. 824 Divisadero was “the home” that Fred and Mable Leeper built along with her “aunties and uncles” Mellie and Noah (822), Helen and Howard (820).

Divisadero, the Street was a central focal point of “The Fillmore”, and it was in The Fillmore in the late 1960s and early 1970s where Freda began developing her social and community life along with her social companions Allene Wilson and Joyce Zachery “socializing” up and down Divisadero Street. Freda always bragged about putting her Brother Donald and Joyce’s baby son Donnie Jr to sleep for the night at 824, and head up the street along with Joyce and Allene to their favorite nightspot “The Playpen” Nightclub located a few doors down at 864 Divisadero. The Playpen was owned and operated by Civil Rights Activist and Entrepreneur Joseph “Bunny” Simon who created the venue as the happening spot for live performances from famous artists and comedians such as Redd Foxx, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, Sly and the Family Stone, Ike and Tina Turner, and a very young, up and coming and unknown at the time R&B Group “The Whispers”; they all took the stage in the upper room at The Playpen and gave San Francisco residents such as Freda a place to enjoy Black creativity.

On January 22, 1980, Freda became a proud graduate of San Francisco State University with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies. After graduating, Freda worked in the insurance industry and eventually found her calling as a Mentoring College Counselor for Cal Works Training recipient students at the City College of San Francisco where she retired in 2016.

Over the years, Freda generously gave her time and energy to the San Francisco African American Arts Community where her passion for culture, history, music, and film was expressed through years of enthusiastic volunteer service. Her involvement was more than volunteer work—it was an expression of her love for the arts and her belief in the power of culture to bring people together. She believed deeply in the importance of preserving and celebrating the contributions of Black artists and the rich cultural heritage of San Francisco.

She worked with San Francisco Jazz Heritage Foundation, supporting its efforts to honor and preserve the city’s extraordinary jazz legacy in the Fillmore District. She also volunteered with the San Francisco Black Film Festival, helping celebrate the work, stories, and voices of Black filmmakers and artists. Over the years she rubbed shoulders with some of the greats such as Danny Glover, Mario Van Peebles Ernie Hudson, Spike Lee and the legendary Billy Dee Williams. Through these commitments, Freda became part of a community dedicated to keeping African American artistic traditions visible, vibrant, and accessible to future generations. Her involvement was more than volunteer work—it was an expression of her love for the arts and her belief in the power of culture to bring people together.

But what defined Freda more than anything else was that she lived a life marked by curiosity, adventure, and a deep appreciation for the world around her. She had a passion and opportunity to travel all over the world to discover new places and cultures. Her journeys took her across six of the seven Continents where she visited multiple countries such as India, China, Japan, France, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Argentina, Turkey, Peru and countless other countries where her Passport could take her and where she experienced the beauty, history, and traditions of places far from home. Of all the destinations she encountered, South Africa held a particularly special place in her heart. She was especially fond of its people, landscapes, and unique spirit, and her affection for the country remained a meaningful part of her life.

In August 27, 2026 Freda departed this life in Sacramento and is preceded in death by her loving parents Fred (1993) and Mable (1984) Leeper, her only sibling Donald Douglas Leeper Sr (2024) her “aunties and uncles” who lived and helped raise Freda at Divisadero, Helen (2022) and Howard (2020) Powell; Mellie (2020) and Noah (2018) Osborne.

She leaves to mourn her Niece Mercedes D. Leeper, along with her sons Amari and Ahsan; her Nephew Donald D. Leeper Jr, along with his sons Joshua and Isaiah and her Goddaughter Paulette Jones (Donald Wickliff) and their daughter Kendall. She leaves behind one surviving Aunt Eleanor (Louise) Washington and her immediate Cousins, Portia Osborne, Darrell Jackson, Jonathan Powell, Teresa Evans, Marlyn Washington, John Washington, Tabitha Leeper, Constance Mitchell, Allene Johnson and Jared McGriff along with a host of cousins, other family and friends.

Freda absolutely lived a full, complete and interesting life to say the least and may her memory be a complete blessing to those left here on earth.