Leander Wooten, age 79 of Centralia, passed away on Friday, December 2, 2022 at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia. Leander was born on November 11, 1943 in Centreville, IL the son of Lee Wooten and Ethel (McCoy) Wooten. He is survived by three first cousins, Bernadette May and husband Marcus, Linda Nelson, and David McCoy; several other cousins and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents. Leander loved the music of Motown and could often be heard singing along to Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, and Sam Cooke. He enjoyed old western tv shows like Gunsmoke and Bonanza. He looked forward to Bible Study and singing the gospel. Leander was a sweet, kind person whose term of endearment for just about everybody he met was "baby". He liked to wear hats, especially cowboy or captain's hats, anything that made him look official. Celebration of Life Services for Leander Wooten will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at Crouse Funeral Home in Salem with Phil Martin officiating. Burial will follow at East Lawn Cemetery in Salem.