*Please visit https://www.youtube.com/@CelebrationofLifeforAndy for live stream broadcast.
A man… small in stature but large in life, Andy (André Joseph LeBlanc) was many things to many people: A golf buddy, a pickleball teammate, a ‘first line centre’ hockey player, a coach, a mentor, a strummer, a biker, a chef, a traveller, a ‘hunter’, a friend, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, a cousin.
He loved all sports and excelled at all he chose to do. He especially loved his Montreal Canadiens and would cry with joy when they would beat the Boston Bruins. He was certain that the Blue Jays would take it all this year and couldn’t wait to see Canada play in the World Cup of soccer next year… all the while, remembering when he played for Team NB at the 1977 Canada Games.
He was a passionate lover of all things music, whether it was jamming with the boys or his son JP, travelling to blues festivals on his Harley, taking blues cruises, sitting at a bar off a side street in a little Portuguese town that had musicians playing. Music was in his soul.
When it came to cooking, Andy was the master. If you ever had the opportunity to share a meal with him, you knew you were in for something special. He loved to create and never followed a recipe. He was certain that his potato salad was “world famous” and he was even so bold as to name a dish, Coquille “St. André”! But it wasn’t just the food; it was the sitting for hours around a table, sharing stories, many laughs, especially those times with his family. And he love sharing the weekly “Friday happy hour’ with his boys, JP and Shawn, even if it was for just a half hour.
Over the last 30 years, he and Silvana travelled throughout the world, meeting new people, building friendships, tasting new dishes everywhere he went, and then recreating those dishes when he got home. But in the fall, the only place he wanted to travel to was the camp. He called it ‘his church’. There, he would get the chainsaw out, cut wood, clear land, put a fire on to take the chill out of the fall air and have a very competitive game of tuck with the “camp” friends (providing there was no baseball or hockey on TV).
Andy LeBlanc always lived in the moment, and he created many of them. Never one to be judgemental, he took the time to make everyone feel welcome and special.
A graduate of ESN Bathurst and CCNB, Andy worked for the Department of Natural Resources (mining division) for over 30 years as a claims inspector.
On July 24, 2025, a day after his anniversary, Andy’s beautiful life ended suddenly. We are all devastated. He leaves behind to mourn, his loving wife, Silvana Bosca; his two sons who he was extremely proud of, Jean Philippe (Nadine) and Shawn (Janik), his beautiful, precious granddaughters, Ève, Mila and Sofia; his sister Cathy (Mike Ballak) and their son Ryan; his brother JP (Vivian) and their sons Scott and Robert; the mother of his sons, Lucie Caissie and a “ton” of cousins and friends.
A celebration of Andy's life will be held at the Gowan Brae Golf Club on Monday, August 18th at 7pm. The celebration will be live streamed. https://www.youtube.com/@CelebrationofLifeforAndy
Donations in Andy’s memory can be made to The Rotary Foundation at rotary.org, or to the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra’s Sistema program. Arrangements are in the care of Elhatton's Funeral Home (www.elhatton.com), Bathurst.
“The song has ended but the melody lives on”
