Diocese mourns the passing of Deacon Paul LeBlanc

Deacon Paul LeBlanc was ordained to the permanent diaconate on Sept. 5, 2020. Most recently, he was the Director of the Office of the Diaconate. (File photo)

Remembered as “someone who was incredibly special,” the life of Deacon Paul David LeBlanc was celebrated on Sept. 21 during a funeral Mass at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park.

“Deacon Paul was someone incredibly special and when I think about him, the one thing that I think about was Paul was all about making others look good,” said Father Brian Kelly, former diocesan vocations director, during his homily at the funeral Mass. “He always wanted to be the guy behind the guy. It was never about him, it was never saying look at me in all that I do. He was always simply about what can I do for you so that you can have things just a little bit easier.”

LeBlanc, 62, of Halfmoon, died suddenly on Sept. 16.

LeBlanc, who was the Director of the Office of the Diaconate for the Diocese of Albany, was a servant who had a natural gift for ministering to others. His ministry touched the lives of many priests and deacons throughout the Diocese, whom he served with great love and compassion.

“I started to get to know Deacon Paul when I started in vocations a few years ago,” Father Kelly continued. “And immediately when we started, I’m thinking ‘Ok, this guy is the one really doing all the work,’ but he wanted none of the credit. At the time, he was the one that ran the office, took care of the seminarians and always made it about simply saying, ‘This is where you need to be, this is what you need to say,’ always in some way trying to say, ‘How can I lift you up so that others can look to you and be guided too.’ ”

LeBlanc was born at Norwood Hospital, in Norwood, Mass., the son of Martha (Geary) LeBlanc and the late Paul C. LeBlanc. During his childhood, LeBlanc and his family lived in Manchester, N.H., Bedford, N.H., Greenfield, Mass., and Westborough, Mass., before eventually settling in Latham. LeBlanc graduated from Shaker High School in 1981.

He had an extensive career in the printing industry, providing both services and equipment sales. He also owned and operated two print shops serving the local area.

LeBlanc is survived by his wife, Debra LeBlanc; his daughters, Emma LeBlanc, Hannah Robbins (Devin), and Gianna Liberatore; his mother, Martha LeBlanc; mother-in-law, Mary Ellen Rogers; brothers, Stephen LeBlanc (Deanna), and Christopher (Nancy); sisters, Lorraine Estrada (Horacio), Michele LeBlanc, and Amy LeBlanc (partner, Chris Gilbert); two granddaughters, Aaliyah and Ava Robbins; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He also leaves behind his beloved pups, Pippa and Oliver.

LeBlanc was ordained a Permanent Deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany on Sept. 5, 2020. He served at Holy Trinity Church and St. Michael’s Church, both in Cohoes, before beginning his ministry in the Office of Vocations. There, he served as an advocate for clergy wellness, and ultimately as Director of the Diaconate for the Diocese.

“If you could think about Paul, how many lives do you think he actually touched?” Father Kelly said. “Together (he) and Deb took in all the seminarians. He found a way to make sure that they always had a home to go to. When we got to go on vocation visits, there was nothing that made him happier when we got to work together, then when he got to spend time with them. … It was genuine to see that he truly was a father figure to each and every one of them.”

Father Kelly added that LeBlanc “finally found, especially in the diaconate, that it was all about serving and living out your faith in that way. To show others as you guided them, somehow Christ is going to heal your hearts where you need it. … Paul was always famous for saying, ‘It’s not about me, it’s always about him.’ ”

LeBlanc also was very active in his Rotary clubs in Columbia County, and with Twin Bridges Rotary Club in Clifton Park. 

“I met Paul LeBlanc in this building. I came before I was installed to a couple of meetings, and this staff was trying to figure everything out for my installation in this church. Everyone around the table was checking me out,” Bishop Mark O’Connell said near the end of the Mass. “I decided I’m going to charm them, and one by one, I saw them all relax except for Paul. He was looking at me intensely. It was more than who is this guy, it was there’s something wrong, I sense it, I’m going to figure it out for you. That’s how he was. You know when he finally let his guard down with me? Never. Never happened. … Let your guard down Paul, you’re with God.”

Donations in LeBlanc’s honor may be made to the Office of Vocations, Diocese of Albany, 40 North Main Ave., Albany, N.Y., 12203, or Tunnels to Towers, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, N.Y., 10306.