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Adrian Leon LeBlanc, 85

Was U.S. veteran; lifelong labor activist

LEOMINSTER - Adrian Leon LeBlanc, 85, of Bassett Street, died Friday, March 21, in his home.

Mr. LeBlanc was born in Lynn, the son of Albenie LeBlanc, a carpenter, and Anna (Cormier) LeBlanc, a tailor. The labor movement was the great passion of his life.

He attended Lynn Classical High School and Clark University in Worcester. As a young man during the Depression, he crossed the country hopping freight trains and eventually joined the Civilian Conservation Corps.

A delegate to the American Youth Congress, he was also a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. As a member of the 45th Infantry Division, he served in Africa and Italy, and was injured in the beachhead attacks at Anzio. He received two bronze battle stars and a Purple Heart.

A lifelong advocate for social and economic justice, Mr. LeBlanc believed fiercely in one's right to self-determination, a faith he expressed most actively in his union work. His career officially began in Gardner with the United Furniture Workers, followed by decades as an organizer and business agent for the International Chemical Workers Union.

Nature was another big love, born of childhood swims in Flagg's Pond and his birthplace's proximity to the ocean. He was a birdwatcher, an avid news reader, a fantastic dancer, dear husband and father, a contrarian and a gentle soul, a humanist.

He leaves his wife of 50 years, Eve Mary Margaret (Mazzaferro) LeBlanc; two daughters, Judith L. Lahti of Leominster and Adrian N. LeBlanc of New York, N.Y.; two sons, Daniel M. LeBlanc of Prescott, Ariz., and David L. LeBlanc of Klamath Falls, Ore; and a brother, Gerard LeBlanc of New Hartford, N.Y. Three brothers, Gaston LeBlanc, Edward LeBlanc and Paul Le Blanc, predeceased him.

Published in the Sentinel and Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), Tuesday, March 25, 2003. Reprinted with permission from the Sentinel and Enterprise.

To learn more about the International Chemical Workers Union, the 45th Infantry Division, or the Civilian Conservation Corps, please click here.

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This piece is available in the following audio formats [11:31 min]:
		56 kbps Real Audio

		intro
		transcript

		Bios
		A Note on the Story
		Adrian Leon LeBlanc's Obituary
		Adrian Leon LeBlanc's Army Discharge Papers
		Photos of the LeBlanc Family
		Audio Extras
		Resources
		An article by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
		Q&A with Adrian Nicole LeBlanc: A Journalist Grapples with Grief
		Q&A with 'The Ground We Lived On' Producer Sarah Kramer

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