Family, fans gather for funeral of creole queen Leah Chase

NEW ORLEANS — Family, friends and admirers of New Orleans chef Leah Chase are gathering for funeral services just blocks away from the landmark family restaurant where she fed heroes of the civil rights movement.

Chase died June 1 at age 96.

Monday’s funeral Mass is set for noon at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, followed by a dirge procession to Dooky Chase’s. That’s the restaurant where Chase gained fame as a creole chef and civil rights icon. A motorcade to a local cemetery was to be followed by a parade to the New Orleans Museum of Art.