LEBLANC, GERTRUDE "GERT" - Gertrude "Gert" LeBlanc (nee Lawlor), daughter of the late George "Boey" and Anne (McDevitt) Lawlor, passed away peacefully with family at her side, on September 11th , 2012 from complications associated with a well-travelled, but worn out 87 year old body. She had been residing at Parkland in the Valley facility in Quispamsis for the past two years. Prior to that, she had resided at the family home on Ridge Street in East Saint John. Her husband, WW2 Veteran George LeBlanc, died in 2002 at the age of 78. Gert and George had four sons. David and Diane (Clark) of Bloomfield and their children; daughter Brandi Long and husband David and son Josh who died in 2006; Peter and Joanne (Abbott) of Darlings Island; Gary and Jackie (Barker) of Bloomfield and their children Kristin and Ben; and Ricky and Krista Bietz of Saint John. Great grandchildren are Cameron, Colby, Jessica, Nicole and her mother Alicia; great-great granddaughter Abby plus several nieces and nephews. Gert was one of a family of six; 3 girls and 3 boys. Her brothers, George, Bill and Joseph "Joe" are deceased. Gert's sister Joan O'Brien resides in Saint John and Shirley Lawlor in Watertown, Massachusetts. Despite recent physical ailments, Gert maintained her famous sense of humour. All who knew her will attest to her love of conversation, especially if mixed with lots of silliness and laughs……and food. Just about every relative or person Gert knew carried a nickname courtesy of Gert and her lively imagination. She loved to tell humorous stories involving family members and these legendary tales would be told time and time again, usually prompted by request of others in attendance at various family functions. Funny faces and voice impersonations were of course always included. Her other passions in life were shopping and dining. Her trips to Calais, Maine were frequent. Some of us even believe that she invented the concept of "cross border shopping"! There were many days during healthier times when she would return from a full day of shopping with George in Calais, only to head back down that same day with sister Joan or longtime friend Mary McNamara. Gert deeply cherished her Irish heritage. Although her favourite colour was purple, green was a close second. She discovered singer Danny O'Donnell in recent years and his soft voice provided her with countless hours of pleasure. Gert and George were lifelong parishioners at St. Joachim's Roman Catholic Church on Loch Lomond Road. Gert was a member of the CWL and for several years assisted the church by managing the Altar Boys of the parish. George was the Scout Leader of the first Troop formed in St. Joachim's in the 60's. In addition, both Gert and George were active members of the Rebuilding Committee which oversaw the construction of the present facility following the fire that destroyed the original church in 1977. Both were also longtime members of the RCL Branch No. 53 - Jervis Bay Legion.
Arrangements entrusted to Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road, Saint John, NB., (506) 646-2424 with visiting Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated from St. Joachim Catholic Church on Friday, September 14th, 2012 at 10 am with interment in St. Joseph's Cemetery next to her beloved husband George. A Reception will follow the burial. Donations may be made to the MS Society of Canada, in memory of Gert's brother Bill or any other charity of choice. To send a message of condolence please visit www.fundyfuneralhome.com