Leon was born on March 21, 1945, in Henderson, Tennessee, to the late Lester Leon Tedford, Sr. and Bertha Mae Goodwin Tedford.
From an early age, Leon had a love for the open road and began what would become a lifelong career as a long-haul truck driver. In those early days, he would sit on a Coca-Cola case so he could see over the steering wheel. Truck driving was more than a career for Leon—it was a way of life. Over the CB radio, fellow drivers knew him by his handle, “Teddy Bear.”
Leon is survived by his daughters, Malika Watkins and her husband, Jeff, and Amanda Johnson and her husband, Scotty; his grandchildren, Miranda Ayers, Dakota Ayers, and Jesse Chappell; his great-grandchildren, Brim Ayers and Lake Ayers; his siblings, Karon Jeter, Linda Rogers, Terry Tedford, and Malea Tedford; and several nieces and nephews.
A service to celebrate the life of Leon Tedford will be held on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the South Chapel of George A. Smith and Sons Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Sweet Lips Cemetery near Henderson.
The family will receive friends on Friday beginning at 11:00 a.m., two hours prior to the service.
