Camille Joseph LeBlanc

Camille LeBlanc, 59, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, on September 1, 2017.

Camille was born in Glace Bay, N.S. on June 21,1958. A graduate of Acadia University, he worked for over 30 years in the building supply industry.

Camille was the beloved husband of his wife Shannon (nee McDonah). He was the much loved father of Matthew (Rachel), Toronto, ON, Patrick (Brianna), Lwr Sackville, N.S., and Kathryn, Bedford, N.S. The light of his life was his granddaughter, Reid. Camille is survived by his brothers, Lawrence (Paula), Charlottetown, P.E.I., Marcel, Moncton, N.B., his sister Monique Richardson, Woodstock, N.B., and his Aunt Marion Avery, Belle Cote, N.S., as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Camille was predeceased by his parents Urbain and Joan LeBlanc and sister, Lucie. He will be remembered with much love by his family and his many cherished friends and colleagues.

Visitations will be held Tuesday, September 5, 2017, 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. in J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Dr., Halifax, N.S. Funeral service will be at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Bedford (1288 Bedford Hwy.) on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. Interment to follow at the Brookside Cemetery in Bedford, N.S.

Special thanks to our family and many friends for their ongoing support during Camille’s illness. Thank you to Monica Flinn, the Palliative Care team, and the VON for their comfort and care. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Chalice (chalice.ca), the Neurofibromatosis Society of Nova Scotia (nfsns.org) or a charity of choice.

“Loyalty and friendship, which is to me the same, created all the wealth that I've ever thought I'd have.”, Ernie Banks

EULOGY - George Tulle

Hello, my name is George Tulle, I live in Calgary and have been asked by Shannon to speak to you about Camille, which I am flattered and honoured to attempt to do.

I first met Camille when he and his family moved from Charlottetown to Riverview, NB in September of 1973. We met at the golf course, it was late in the season and he talked a pretty big game. Soon after we saw the swing which was quite remarkable, and the next years featured some amazing times golfing, and our friendship evolved to the point where we pretty much experienced a lot of life’s adolescent adventures together. Picture the old movies like Caddy Shack, Sandlot, and Stand By Me as pale examples of what went on back then.

Then it was Acadia; and room-mates for the first year. More amazing times and more friendships were made that have lasted his lifetime. And then to the west where we learned the oil patch first hand. Camille was a seismic driller’s helper; you don’t want to know how hard that work was. And he stuck with it until he saved enough money to finish his degree. Yeah we all had a little too much fun back then. Heck we helped make Ron James who he is today….And Camille met Shannon, I can still see her and Tikki in the bar and Shannon you must have initiated the conversation. Camille and I back then only knew how to look at ladies, we were too shy to actually speak.

Then life went onwards with children and careers and things got busy for everyone. Back then it was golf that kept us connected as friends. If I was east with Claire and the girls we found a time to play, and on occasion Camille would come west. Our games were crumbling with the looming onset of middle age but we always held out hope for the glory days to return, at least once.

I could continue all afternoon in the memory and stories of those days to you all, but that is not what I wish to do. Part of my logic for this is Camille and I did not spend much time reflecting on the “old days”, we spent our time talking about what was going on today, whether it was sports, politics, our families, whatever.

But I do wish to reflect briefly on an innocuous event when Camille came west about 11 years ago. Picture him speaking for about half an hour with our youngest daughter Carolyn who was about 12 at the time. She said afterwards “you know that Camille is really different than most people, and he is really smart”. It never hit me until much later what Carolyn saw. And it was much later when I realized how much Camille was reading; and not so much the Internet stuff. Often we would talk on the phone and sometime later a book would arrive. They were amazing books, all nonfiction, mostly historical, heavily researched essays. Heavy reads, amazing reads. Golf was becoming secondary to the subjects of philosophy, religion, family.

And I learned of his woodworking skills. Wow. He hardly said a word. Whenever it came to talking about achievements and brilliance it was always his father Urbain’s work, his uncle Arthur’s work, Shannon’s accomplishments in the school system, Matthew’s amazing ability to read people and his special gifts, Patrick in his hockey world, and of course Reid, and Kathryn, his Princess Grace. It was never about Camille.

And then came last October when my sister Mary organized our dream trip to Cape Breton to play the Highlands and Cabot Cliffs. Camille gave me a couple of hours to get loosened up and then asked me to come outside for a chat and you know where this is going. I have about 14 years’ experience as a cancer patient caregiver and all I could offer is “Camille, our lives are uncontrollable; I have given up all control and accept what happens in life. The only darn thing I can try and control is my state of mind, everything else is a waste of time and effort”.

And he looked at me and smiled and said “that’s pretty good Tulle, I am going to try that”.

Camille, Mary, and I spent the weekend playing the courses, touring where he grew up in Margaree, the beach they swam in, his parent’s and Lucie’s graves, and talking and talking.

That picture you see is from that trip; that is my arm around him on the second tee at Highland Links.

So I have not seen Camille since that weekend, partly due to some circumstances that took place in Calgary not long after I came home. We spoke often on the phone and I lived his journey through the stories. That is where this room comes in, that is where I am such a small part of the big picture. Let me try to capture that in one sentence:

It is written Camille LeBlanc is the ultimate pursuer of truth and believer in love; he has found both.

You all helped him find that, and in the end he was perfect. Shannon his love for you was amazing, Matthew, Patrick, and Kathryn his words to me when he spoke about you were nothing but pure love and admiration for everything you did. I hope you realize there is nothing more powerful a parent can teach their child than to actually live within love and the truth. I believe we are born perfect, and Camille and Shannon kept you perfect. That is a rare gift in today’s world.

And to his friends who spent so much time with Camille as he lived his life to the last moment with an unyielding belief that life was never ending, and was meant to be cherished. You know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I will make the claim that Camille LeBlanc lived his life without making an enemy, and has never told a lie. How many of us can even consider that perspective? And that is how I wish to remember Camille, and I hope you all can agree. His life had real meaning, and in turn he gave us meaning. The boys from the annual Kokanee trip are all mourning the loss of Camille, even though he only made it a couple of trips. John Kelley told me “please give my condolences to Lawrence, and to Camille’s family; he was the gentlest of gentlemen”. I can’t find better words to end my attempt at honoring Camille; I will miss you old buddy, but I am looking forward to seeing you again in the afterlife. That was the essence of our last telephone conversation last Thursday morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts on Camille with you, may his spirit now be free of his material existence and his spirit will continue to make our lives that much better. All we have to do is talk to him. And if I know Camille one spec, he would be saying it is time to stop crying and time to start smiling.

POEM to my friend Camille

- Ena Harris

I came to say good bye to you a few short weeks ago,

But all I did was stand and wave and hoped that you would know,

You would know how I was feeling,

You would know that you were loved,

You would know that I felt pain inside but could not let it show,

You set the tone of strength and grace,

Sat with us and talked,

You were as you had always been a friend until the end.

And now today I said Good Bye,

As I sat outside and cried,

but I felt your warmth and presence in your family’s loving eyes.

I saw your strength in your son's eyes as they stood in the room,

I saw your smile on Reid's sweet face as she played as small ones do.

I saw your warmth in your friends’ faces as they gathered to grieve.

I may have said good bye today but I truly believe.

I believe you will be watching,

Standing just a breath away,

Just a shadow or a rain drop on a dark and cloudy day,

Or the sparkle in your daughter's eyes when the stars at night shine bright,

I know you will the there my friend,

And so Good Bye, Good Night.

Life Is Like a Round of Golf

- Criswell Freeman

Life is like a round of golf

With many a turn and twist.

But the game is much too sweet and short

To curse the shots, you've missed.

Sometimes you'll hit it straight and far

Sometimes the putts roll true.

But each round has its errant shots

And troubles to play through.

So always swing with courage

No matter what the lie.

And never let the hazards

Destroy the joy inside.

And keep a song within your heart

Give thanks that you can play.

For the round is much too short and sweet

To let it slip away.