Edward Roy LeBlanc

Edward "Ed" Roy LeBlanc, 79, of Fishers, Indiana, passed away surrounded by family on Sunday, July 12, 2026—his beloved mother's birthday—after courageously living for ten years beyond a colon cancer diagnosis, followed by a journey with frontotemporal dementia. While dementia may have slowly stolen pieces of his memory, it never erased the larger-than-life spirit that made Ed unforgettable.

Born on Friday, September 13, 1946, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Ed entered the world on Friday the 13th—a fact his older sister, Nanette, found endlessly amusing and never missed an opportunity to remind him of. Some would say it explained a lot. Ed always liked to say he may have been born in Tennessee, but he had an Abbeville, Louisiana soul. He was the son of Roy Simonet LeBlanc (December 29, 1904 – January 22, 1979) and Frances Grace Olson LeBlanc (July 12, 1910 – November 4, 1985), whose Louisiana Cajun roots, love of family, and appreciation for a good time remained woven throughout his life.

Ed grew up in Indianapolis, attending Eastwood Middle School and North Central High School. He played football as a quarterback, linebacker, and running back, wrestled, boxed, and was a Junior Olympic swimmer. His athletic career continued at Kentucky Military Institute (Class of 1965), where he earned All-State honors as a quarterback, before attending Indiana State University, graduating with the Class of 1969. At ISU, he continued playing football and proudly called the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity his brotherhood—a bond that lasted a lifetime.

On September 15, 1973, Ed married the love of his life, Karol Annette Klink of Lafayette, Indiana. Together they shared nearly 53 years of marriage, raising three children while following Ed's career across multiple states before settling in the Geist Lake area of Fishers, Indiana, in 1986. Fishers became home for the next forty years, where countless neighbors became lifelong friends, and driveway gatherings became the setting for what Ed affectionately called "Tippy Time."

Professionally, Ed built a career centered on people. He worked for Mobile Oil, following in his father's footsteps, before spending nineteen years with Sears, Roebuck and Co., a career that kept the family moving and resulted in each of his three children being born in different states. He later worked for AutoSource, served as Human Resources Director for US Airways Express/Chautauqua Airlines, and after September 11th found what many would call his dream job as Human Resources Director for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). If there was a place that matched Ed's energy and love of people, fast cars, and storytelling, it was IMS. Even after retirement, he wasn't quite finished working and enjoyed spending time at Lowe's.

If you knew Ed, you knew he had passions that rivaled his personality. He loved Sarasota and Siesta Key, Florida, where his parents retired, and treasured annual vacations to a remote Canadian island in Ontario's Pointe au Baril Station with lifelong family friends—traditions filled with fishing, laughter, games, and stories that somehow grew better with every retelling.

Perhaps no tradition meant more than his lifelong annual Ludington, MI fishing trip with his best friends. What began as a weekend getaway became an extraordinary 50-year tradition—a brotherhood measured not just in fish caught, but in decades of friendship, laughter, and unwavering loyalty. Long after the fishing was done for the day, the stories, jokes, and memories around the table were the real catch.

Ed also had a lifelong love with Corvettes, classic cars, boats, and any excuse to tinker in the garage. He loved spending time on the water, whether cruising Geist Reservoir through Cocktail Cove, casting a fishing line, or simply waving to strangers from his boat. Ed genuinely believed there were no strangers—only friends he hadn't met yet. Chances are, if you crossed paths with him, you'd be greeted with a smile, a hearty "How you doin'?", and before long you'd feel like you'd known him for years.

He barefoot skied in his younger years and proudly proved on his 60th birthday that he could still slalom ski...though he happily admitted he felt every muscle the following morning.

He also never met a dance floor he didn't like. Rumor has it he may have crashed a wedding or two "accidentally" where he wasn't exactly on the guest list, but if there was music playing and people smiling, Ed figured everyone deserved another dance partner—or maybe he just deserved a free drink.

Friendship was one of life's greatest treasures to Ed. His North Central classmates, KMI teammates, Indiana State football brothers, Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers, his lifelong Ludington fishing trip buddies (50 years strong), neighbors, and countless lifelong friends all knew different versions of Ed, but they all knew the same generous heart beneath the jokes. Depending on who was introducing him, he answered to Big Ed, Fast Eddie, Fashion Eddie, The Man. The Myth. The Legend. Mr. LeBlanc, or Dad.

Ed wasn't perfect—and he'd be the first to admit it. He could be stubborn, opinionated, and occasionally difficult. But he also had a heart as big as his laugh, a gift for making people feel welcome, and an ability to leave every gathering just a little more fun than he found it.

His greatest accomplishment may not have been found on a résumé at all, but in the friendships, he cultivated over a lifetime. Some stretched back to childhood, others to football fields, fraternity houses, fishing boats, and neighborhood driveways. They endured for decades because Ed showed up—for the laughs, for the adventures, and when it mattered most.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Frances LeBlanc, and his sister, Nanette “Nan” Elizabeth LeBlanc McDermott (Sept 20, 1940 – May 5, 2011).

He is survived by his devoted wife, Karol Annette Klink LeBlanc; his children, Joseph "Joe" Edward LeBlanc (Elizabeth Colleen Hall LeBlanc), Alyssa Simonet LeBlanc Tolman (Dainen Michael Tolman), and John "Johnny" Roy LeBlanc (Kelly Lee Bennett LeBlanc); his grandchildren, Knox Lieuwe Tolman, Piper Simonet Tolman, Jackson Bennett LeBlanc, Caroline Lee LeBlanc, John Dozier LeBlanc, Britain Daesung Wright, and Imogen Mae Wright; along with his lifelong best-man, Bob Runo, countless extended family members, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who were fortunate enough to become part of Ed's ever-expanding circle.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers and staff who cared for Ed during his time in memory care, and especially to the many friends who continued to visit him, laugh with him, and remind him how deeply he was loved. Those visits meant more than words can express, and they brought moments of laughter, friendship, and familiarity during some of life's most difficult days.

A Celebration of Ed's Life will be held on Friday, September 18, from 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. at Sullivan’s Hardware & Garden (Keystone location), 6955 N. Keystone Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. The family will have a private burial at Highlands Cemetery in Fishers, Indiana.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) to support research and families affected by frontotemporal dementia at https://www.theaftd.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/.

If Big Ed could leave us with one final piece of advice, it probably wouldn't be profound. It would be something more like: have another drink with friends, dance when the music starts, wave to strangers, spend a little more time on the water, tell a few stories that get better every year, and don't be afraid to pull the occasional harmless prank. And if life gets a little messy? Well... "Forgetta 'bout it."

As his Louisiana family has always said, "Laissez les bons temps rouler"—let the good times roll.

We have a feeling that's exactly what he's doing.