Rita R. LeBlanc

Rita and Germie LeBlanc grew up as neighbors in Belle Cote, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada in large French Catholic families. And on August 29, 1949 they married and for almost 68 years they remained each other's life companion. And while Alzheimer's disease made it necessary for them to transition to the Excel Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Lexington over 4 years ago it never denied them the ability to remain together to love and care for one another with the assistance of family and staff. Germie was with Rita when she died on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. She was 91. Qu'elle repose en paix.

Rita Leblanc was born September 4, 1925 in Belle Cote, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada daughter of the late Lazare and Luce (Aucoin) LeBlanc. She attended Nova Scotia Normal College and taught in a one room school house in Cape Breton. They moved to the United States in 1955 and settled in Waltham and over the years she was a nursery school teacher in addition to raising her four children.

She had a natural talent for making a house a home….with her love for cooking, baking, quilting, knitting, crafts and gardening Rita's house was always a place of welcome for family and friends. A favored memory will be the smell of the kitchen when her signature cinnamon rolls were fresh from the oven. She and Germie enjoyed dancing, playing cards, and camping. Throughout her life Rita had a strong faith and they would faithfully attend Mass together. They spent time walking the beaches in Florida, South Carolina and Cape Breton. She once served as a Cub Scout den mother, member of St Joseph Women's Guild and The French Club.

Rita is predeceased by her siblings Moise, Charles, Willy, Leo and Joseph LeBlanc, Margaret Deveau, Antoinette Goguen and Julian Arsenault.

In addition to her husband of 67 years, Germain, she leaves their children, Doreen C. LeBlanc, Allan G. LeBlanc and his wife, Laurel, all of Waltham, Joseph L. LeBlanc and his wife, Marcella of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and Melvin F. LeBlanc and his wife, Lori of Dudley; her grandchildren, Jeff, Kristen, Brian, Justin, Daniel, Matthew and Michael and her great-grandchildren, Alyssa, Dylan, Mckenzie and Mason. She also leaves many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will honor and remember Rita's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Friday, June 2nd from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning before leaving in procession to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church, 880 Trapelo Road, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Burial in Mount Feake Cemetery will be private.

Memorials in her name may be made to Compassionate Care Hospice, 800 West Cummings Park. Suite 3100, Woburn, MA 01801 or Alzheimer's Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Rd, Waltham, MA 02452.