Marcus Lucas DiLeo, Jr.

Marcus Lucas DiLeo, Jr. passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at his home in New Orleans, LA. Marcus attended St. Ann’s Catholic School in Metairie, LA. and graduated from Jesuit High School in 2010. He earned a B.S. in Psychology at Louisiana State University. At the start of January 2022, Marcus was to attend The University of New Orleans to pursue a Masters in Counseling Psychology. Over the course of the last year, he was an exemplary and devoted volunteer in his community.

It is difficult to sum up such a beautiful soul in so few words. Marcus was a multi-talented, creative, and introspective person with a huge, tender, and compassionate heart and a playful wit. A man of his convictions, Marcus was passionate about the people, places, and things that he valued. He was loved deeply by his family and friends, and will be greatly missed by many. He worked as a psych tech at University Hospital, managed his own rental properties, and was a day-trader in the stock market.

Like his father, Marcus’ biggest passion was music, and he loved a variety of styles. He enjoyed song writing, playing the guitar, and attending live shows and festivals with his friends. Marcus practiced transcendental meditation and was fond of various outdoor activities. He loved New Orleans and would often frequent City Park. Marcus traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe; his travels were documented by his beautiful photography and words. John Muir’s quote: “The mountains are calling me and I must go” might as well have been Marcus’ mantra for his love of Nature.

But perhaps the most fitting Marcus reflection comes from one of his favorite bands, the Beatles: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

He is preceded in death by: his father, Marcus L. DiLeo, M.D.; his grandparents, Antoinette Russo DiLeo Schoen Fitzpatrick, Vincent Louis DiLeo, M.D., Charles Francis Wusthoff, Jr., and Lillian “Bootsie” Morel Wusthoff; his uncle, Charles Francis Wusthoff, III; his aunt, Lillian Wusthoff Wakins; and his cousin, Noah C. Watkins.

He is survived by: his mother, Kathryn Kent Wusthoff DiLeo; his sister, Emily (Christopher) Buse; his godchild, Julian L. Buse; his nephew, Dominic L. Buse; and 10 cousins, especially his close cousin of the same age, Ariel Wusthoff.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in his honor.

A visitation for Marcus will be held Saturday, December 4, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, followed by a funeral service from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM and a Reception/Celebration immediately following service at the Peristyle, City Park, New Orleans.