Edward D. "Big Ed" LeBlanc

GORHAM – Our beloved “Big Ed,” 73, died on February 26, 2019.  Though his body was battered over the past 12 years by multiple surgeries and illnesses, his spirit for love, life, and humor continued to dominate his days and his relationships until the day he died.

Most important in his life was his family. He was blissfully married to the love of his life, Gail (Fogg), for 45 years and they had two sons, Ed and Jason. Their home was the hub for lively and fun-filled gatherings for family and friends. They hosted many tournaments at the horseshoe pit and the pool table. Big Ed was one of many contenders for the winning spot at those tournaments. He trained his sons young for these sports – word has it that Jason shot pool standing on a milk crate and still won. They also had a swimming pool, where his boys, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, grand nieces and nephews and neighborhood kids learned to swim and played all summer.

He was known by all for his guitar playing and his “golden throat” – so named by his brother-in-law, Harvey. He loved jamming and he had a band – Eddie and the Outsiders. Other band members were (and please excuse our misspellings) Kim Curry (female vocalist and guitar), Gary Lowatchie (guitar), Bo Emery (guitar), and Sonny Waterman (drums).  They played Country and Oldies music at local clubs for about 20 years and the band won 4 State of Maine Country Music Awards in 1977, including one for “Continued Contributions” to Country music. Related to his love of music, Ed and Gail were a sight to watch on the dance floor. They won 3 jitter-bugging contests and it was a delight to watch them waltz together – what you most noticed was their love and tenderness for each other.

Ed loved, loved the outdoors, fishing, and bird hunting. He also loved training his many German Short-Hairs for bird hunting and was known to walk for hours to get to the best hunting and fishing spots. Tics were no obstacle for this sportsman!!

He also loved his man toys, taking great delight in doing yard work and moving dirt around with his Kubotas. He had an awesome backhoe/snow blower and a good sized lawnmower. He was always creating new landscapes on his land and couldn’t wait for company to come so he could show them his latest creation. He was a jack of many trades, building and fixing anything that needed tending at home. And he was generous with his time and skills, always at the ready to help out family and friends.

Ed was born in Worcester, MA, on April 7, 1945. His family moved to Maine when he was quite young. He went to several schools in Maine, including Gorham High School. He served his country by joining the U.S. Army, participating in the Korean Conflict during the Vietnam War. He was always a hard worker, working two jobs until 1991 when back injuries forced him to retire. He worked many jobs; his longest employments as a machinist were at GTE Sylvania and Reece Corp.

Ed was predeceased by his parents, Aurelle and Anne (Rossetti) LeBlanc, and his dear brother, Joseph A. LeBlanc. He is survived by wife, Gail; two sons, Edward J. Leblanc and his fiancé Angela Baril, and Jason R. LeBlanc; three grandchildren, Mark Potvin and wife Meara, Felicia Baril and fiancé Bryce Mehnert, and Karissa Gail LeBlanc; great-grandson, Maddox Potvin; two sisters, Pearl Biscotti and husband Nick of Ohio, and Mary (Deanna) Verrill of Gorham, and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.

We would like to thank The VA in Scarborough for their loving and compassionate care of Ed. You made a difficult life situation more tolerable, fun and humane for him.

 A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 9, from noon to 3pm at American Legion Post 197, 300 Conant Street, Westbrook, Maine.  We hope to see y’all there.