IN LOVING MEMORY OF BIRGIT LEBLANC
How does one begin to write an obituary for someone so loved?
Birgit was born on February 25, 1955, in Hamburg, Germany, to Gisela and Walter Bors. She was the little sister to Sylvia Bors and big sister to Stewart, which led her to enjoy many laughs while lamenting with the many other ‘middle children’ to come in the Bors and LeBlanc clans.
In her early years, they moved to Kitimat, B.C. She attended Cormorant Elementary and graduated high school at Mount Elizabeth Senior Secondary (MESS). After graduation, she attended BCIT.
She married Jacques LeBlanc in 1975, and together they raised Aaron LeBlanc, Marc LeBlanc, and Vanessa LeBlanc (Asmus) in Terrace, and Prince George, B.C.
Birgit genuinely loved learning and was passionate about her career, which allowed her to help others in their professional paths. In 2009, she achieved her Masters in Classical Leadership from Royal Roads University, which directed her to a very fulfilling and rewarding career with Northern Health and later as a Workshop Facilitator and Curriculum Designer. Her number one client was UNBC Continuing Studies. Birgit was widely respected and admired both personally and professionally by her colleagues and acquaintances in her field.
Beyond her accomplished career and genuine passion for her work, Birgit spent most of her time with her family, including her 11 grandchildren, in numerous sports facilities and backyard BBQs.
Aaron and Taiya have Tylee, Brynn, and Alexandre. Marc and Renee have Maeva, Maxen, Meila, and Miloh. Vanessa and Mike have Bailey. And, by choice, Birgit considered Nicole’s (Mike’s sister) children as her three honourary granddaughters: Lexis, Livia, and Lenyn.
Birgit was nearly obsessed with her 11 grandkids. She took every opportunity she could to drive them to sports, take them out for lunch dates, remind their parents to ‘be careful!’ on the daily regardless of how relaxed and safe the situation really was and buy way too many Christmas presents. So many, in fact, that one year after about three hours of opening young Tylee and Brynn had to concede defeat and nap.
Birgit could be described as giving, caring, and kind. She had a knack for making everyone around her feel special and incredibly loved- as if they were the only person that mattered at that moment. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Marc and Vanessa saw this first hand when driving with their mom one evening, and someone cut her off. Birgit had a profound distaste for anyone who put her family in jeopardy, so this incident made her blood boil. Instead of considering the *widely recognized hand symbol* sometimes shared on the roadways, Birgit stuck her hands up like moose antlers and played the drums on the steering wheel. She had to pull over as tearful laughter ensued as her teenagers poked fun at her reaction.
During her last few years, Birgit lived in Calgary and spent a lot of time with every one of those grandkids, and to say her presence will be missed dearly is an understatement.
Birgit was very private about her health struggles, but when faced with her mortality, she chose the bravest route and swung for the fences, hoping to add many more years to her life. Even in the hospital, the nurses described her ‘beautiful spirit’ to her family, and even when she wasn’t feeling well, she would take the time to ask the nurses how they were doing when they came into the room. During her final hours, some of the doctors and nurses had tears in their eyes when discussing her. She chose to make the world a better place and have a positive impact on everyone around her until the very end.
We will never be able to comprehend why someone loved so dearly could be taken so early. But alas, we are here moving forward without her physical self, but with hearts and minds full of love, laughter, and beautiful memories.
Please take a look at the memories page to enjoy some photos with Birgit and her family. A celebration of life will be held for Birgit in the summer of 2023. If you would like to be contacted with the details, please email Vanessa at theasmusproject@gmail.com