SAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Father LeClaire passes away at 82

SAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Father LeClaire passes away at 82 – Days after Fr Burns passed away – May God rest his soul too with Eternal Peace …

Rev Father Gerald E LeClaire, SJ

FROM KUENSEL

29 May, 2010: Father Gerald E LeClaire, SJ, former principal of Sherubtse College in Kanglung, passed away at the Jesuit infirmary in Pickering, Ontario, on Sunday May 23. He was 82. 

A selfless and dedicated educator, Father LeClaire, from Montreal, Quebec, served as principal of St Joseph’s college in Darjeeling, before taking over as principal of Sherubtse college in the late ‘70s, when Father Mackey moved to Khaling to establish Jigme Sherubling higher secondary school.

Although stern sometimes, he always lent an attentive ear to the students’ various grievances. He had many old Sherubtse history students enthralled with his lively and fascinating classes. 

After his tenure in Sherubtse college, which ended in 1989, Father LeClaire worked in Darjeeling till 1999 when, on a visit to Canada, he suffered a massive stroke that left him paralysed. Since then he had been living at the Jesuit infirmary in Pickering, Ontario. 

In his letter of condolence to Father LeClaire’s family, Bhutan’s ambassador to Canada, Lhatu Wangchuk, said, “With the demise of Father LeClaire, the Kingdom of Bhutan lost yet another great humanitarian and selfless Canadian, who touched thousands of Bhutanese lives.” 

Father LeClaire was buried at the Jesuit cemetery in Guelph yesterday.