8/11/2021
Inside the Theater
This spring, The Smith Center lost one of its top stars.
Larry LeBlanc, one of the center’s most active volunteers, passed away on July 28, 2021.
A warm and constant presence at The Smith Center, LeBlanc volunteered nearly 4,000 hours, which included ushering hundreds of shows, serving as captain of usher uniforms, leading volunteers during student matinees and giving campus tours as a docent.
He even supported The Smith Center, a nonprofit organization, as a donor.
“Larry touched so many lives, and made everyone he met at The Smith Center feel like a friend,” says Venus Carter-Ramirez, assistant manager of Volunteer Services. “It’s almost impossible not to think of him walking these halls.”
A U.S. Air Force veteran who worked over 30 years with the U.S. Postal Service before retiring,
LeBlanc chose to volunteer at The Smith Center due to his avid love for music and Broadway productions.
Many guests recognized LeBlanc as a Smith Center fixture as he ushered shows across every genre, with a kindly and gentle manner in providing information, assistance and, always, an affable greeting.
He enjoyed connecting with fellow Smith Center volunteers both on and off campus, and said he made several lifelong friends there.
“Larry was a true member of our Smith Center family, and we will miss his presence every day,” Carter-Ramirez says. “His contributions will never be forgotten.”