Andre William Leblanc

Phoenix—Andre William LeBlanc, 27, born September 5, 1992, passed away on Saturday, November 16th (US-AZ time) during a vacation trip to Australia where a tragic accident took his life. We lost a beloved son, grandson, cousin, and friend way too soon. Although Andre will be greatly missed, his life is also a source of inspiration and light.

Andre was a delightful and active everything: a delightful baby; an active, good-natured toddler (well mostly); a rambunctious and lively St. Francis Elementary student with “great hair” according to the other moms; and a live-on-the-edge teenager who loved his friends intensely. When Andre graduated from St. Francis, he won the Open to Growth award his 8th grade year. He was not the perfect kid by any means, but he was the kid who could own up to a mistake and try to do better. On the baseball field, in the swimming pool, on a triathlon course, and on the soccer field, Andre honed all his physical gifts, his amazing work ethic, his passion for winning, and his appreciation for his teammates.

We were amazed at his transformation at Brophy, where he truly became a Man for Others–someone whose heart and mind are open to the world around him. When he entered Brophy, it was like his whole life up to that point had made him a sponge for all that a Jesuit education has to offer. He embraced it with an open heart: he indeed was open to growth. Our values of learning, treating others with respect, exploring the world and being open-minded, having empathy for all, and the importance of family were nurtured by every experience he ever had which contributed to a successful college experience and adult life.

Andre attended Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York. He played collegiate soccer and was accepted into the Honors College. Through both soccer and the Honors College, Andre extended his learning by traveling to Paris, Peru, and Costa Rica, where he explored Versailles, Machu Pichu, and helped install solar panels for an indigenous village. At LIU Andre continued to develop a deep awareness of his gifts and talents, learning to think critically about the world around him and understanding the importance of living his life in the service of others. He graduated with honors as a Health Science major.

When he graduated from college, he was filled with the desire to find his passion, which ironically was not in a field of medicine, the original purpose for his major. After establishing a coffee business with friends and working for a solar panel company, he landed a dream job with MINDBODY, a software company that works with fitness businesses. What a perfect match for his personality and skill set! According to MINDBODY leaders, Andre embodied the Core Values of MINDBODY like no other: Committed to Wellness, Audaciously Achieving, Humble & Helpful, Empathetic, and Consciously Evolving. He was a much-appreciated team member and will be greatly missed.

In a short 27 years, Andre showed us how to live, love, and be happy. Living by his example instead of being overwhelmed by despair will be our challenge. As one person so aptly said, “Some people are just too big for a long life. They have work to do in other realms…Andre’s life serves to help the rest of us live each day like it could be our last.” Indeed, his open heart, his kindness, his spirited energy, and his ever-present love was a true treat for anyone who experienced it, and this was confirmed in all the messages we have received from far and wide.

Andre is survived by his parents, Gary and Debbie LeBlanc; his grandparents, Dr. Reginald and Sandra Barr; and many cousins and relatives on the west and east coast. Instead of flowers, please consider donating in Andre’s name to The Nature Conservancy at nature.org.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 1:00 P.M. at Brophy Chapel, 4701 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix. Condolences may be expressed at www.whitneymurphyfuneralhome.com