Abbeville sadden by loss of former chorus director

Francis LeBlanc was a soft-spoken man who significantly impacted Abbeville High School and J.H. Williams Middle School. He passed away over the weekend of a short illness.
He was the chorus director at Abbeville High School and J.H. Williams Middle School for 27 years. He retired this past May.
As of Monday, the Meridional had not received any funeral arrangements for LeBlanc. 
“This beautiful soul is now singing with the angels,” said Tiffany Marie Saltzman.  “I will miss so much about him. He played a huge role in so many lives. I will miss him calling me Salisbury. I will miss every eraser he (jokingly) would throw at us when he knew we were lip-singing,  but mostly, I will miss his smile and heart. Mr. Francis,  I am sure Jesus is proud of you for how many lives you’ve changed.”
 Mathew Ewing is a band member of the All-Star Band. The band played alongside LeBlanc at St. Elizabeth Seaton Catholic Church in Lafayette.
“It’s with the heaviest heart that I must say goodbye to my brother in Christ, Francis Leblanc,” said Ewing.  “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to get to sing alongside and befriend you all these years. The man could go from being sassy and playful to saying the most inspired Godlike words you would hear that day. He is a kind soul who gave everything he was to his community, especially to the youth who will carry his fire forward after yesterday.”
Abbeville High School also wrote about losing their former chorus director.
“Mr. Francis, who recently retired in May after more than 27 years of service to JHW and AHS, was certainly one-of-a-kind,” wrote Abbeville High School. “His powerful, angelic voice could fill a room like no other and could send chills down your spine. His vocals and piano playing were truly transcendent and moving. Mr. Francis greeted you with a smile, genuine words of all kinds from his seemingly endless well of wisdom, and the warmest of hugs. To know him was to love him.
“Our community sends our deepest condolences to his family and all who knew and loved him as we process this loss together. We know that Mr. Francis will live on in our hearts and that he leaves the mighty legacy of music and love to grow.”
Former Abbeville High teacher Jason Harrington had a classroom next to LeBlanc.
“My favorite memory of Mr. Francis was in his interaction with one of my students, said Harrington. “When I was at Abbeville High, my room was next door to his office, and he’d often visit to give insight and advice to my TAG students.
“With one particular student who was a verifiable savant, Mr. Francis sat and listened to him play piano, then with the most direct tone imaginable, he expressed to the student that God was going to hold him to account for how he shared this gift with the world. He communicated in no uncertain terms that we have a responsibility to share our gifts; they are not for us but for others.”
LeBlanc not only taught chorus in Abbeville, but he was also a music minister and teacher in the Diocese of Lafayette.
Two years ago,  LeBlanc was a finalist for the Christi Award from the Diocese of Lafayette.
He was quoted in the Catholic Extension Society magazine, crediting his strong faith-life to family and community.
“I was blessed having both parents believing in God,” he said. “They instilled in us hard work and to treat people the way you want to be treated. My father is gone now, but we know where he’s at. He’s with the grace of God.” 
To this day, Leblanc’s mother attends Mass nearly every day and prays the rosary at least four times daily.
According to the Catholic Extention Magazine, as a child at St. Francis, which hosted many highly talented musicians, Leblanc fell in love with the beauty of music and its ability to bring people closer to God. Father Joseph Brown, a Josephite priest who served the parish, encouraged Leblanc to develop his musical skills and to play for the church.
Leblanc earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. During his education, he received a scholarship to study overseas, but his family couldn’t afford the rest of the cost. His parish community came together to fundraise for him so his parents didn’t have to pay a cent.
“That touched me deeply,” Leblanc said in the magazine article. “And for that, I always want to give back because so much was given to me through my community.”