Beloved Community Spotlight

Dorothy LeBlanc has a gift for finding music, meaning, and connection in the most ordinary—and extraordinary—moments of life.

She and her husband, Warren, have been married for 42 years, a story that began in October of 1982 when a mutual friend invited them both to his Baton Rouge home to watch Game 6 of the World Series.

Warren’s first words to Dorothy—spoken as she put beer in the refrigerator—were, “Hey, while you’re in there, would you get me a beer?” Little did she know how prophetic that moment would be. And yes, she eventually wrote a song about it.

Dorothy and Warren share their Broadmoor home in Baton Rouge with their two grown sons, an arrangement Dorothy describes as an honor, allowing them to bond with their children as adults. The household also includes two much-loved dogs: Molly, a yellow lab, and Shirley Basset, a lemon basset hound. They bought their Broadmoor home in 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina.

Dorothy has deep roots in the Baton Rouge area, having lived here for 60 years. Originally born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Dorothy spent her first seven years there before her family moved to Baton Rouge when her father became Director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Stations at LSU.

If there’s one thing Dorothy insists on, it’s that musicians never truly retire. Her musical career began in 2003, following her first bout with breast cancer, when she decided there was no better time to take the plunge into music. She became a children’s musician—Mrs. Dorothy & Her Traveling Shaky Egg Band—working with preschoolers around Baton Rouge and performing at birthday parties. A few years later, she expanded her musical ministry to senior citizens, performing interactive music in assisted living communities and Alzheimer’s units throughout the area. Sharing the songs of the residents’ youth, she says, fed her soul.

Dorothy’s musical journey has taken many delightful turns. She joined the Adult Music Club in Baton Rouge, learned cello and bass, and played in several rock bands, including the unforgettable punk band “Your Mom,” made up of four women in their sixties. Today, she plays electric guitar in a jazz combo and is one half of an acoustic cello-and-guitar duo called In Walked Chuck.

Warren spent nearly 30 years working at Dow Chemical in Plaquemine, first in the instrument department and later specializing in gas chromatographs. After retiring from Dow, he joined Emerson, traveling the world to fix and install gas chromatographs—quite the contrast to Dorothy’s local, music-filled path.

Dorothy has been part of St. Margaret’s for about 15 years. She first arrived thanks to parishioner Fred Aldrich, who invited her to accompany him on mandolin while he performed one of his songs during a service. That invitation opened the door to what Dorothy now describes as a wonderful church community.

Raised Catholic by a Cajun, cradle-Catholic mother, Dorothy taught Sunday school while her children were young but eventually became disillusioned with Catholic church policies and began searching for a new spiritual path. St. Margaret’s became that place. What she loves most is the church’s diverse membership and the opportunity to learn from one another and grow in love amid both similarities and differences. She is especially grateful for Father Tommy’s emphasis on conversation and connection.

Dorothy believes diversity makes life extraordinary and sees it beautifully embodied at St. Margaret’s. Looking ahead, she would love to see the church host monthly “coffeehouse” events—open-mic evenings for songwriters and poets—that could serve the wider community as a space for creativity and listening.

In their free time, Warren devours books, while Dorothy happily loses herself in puzzles of all kinds, from crosswords to classic cardboard jigsaws. As for how she hopes to be remembered someday, Dorothy says simply and beautifully: as a creator who treasured and tried to promote goodness in the world.

If you haven’t yet met Dorothy LeBlanc, take the opportunity to do so. You’ll likely find a thoughtful conversation, a warm laugh, and maybe even a song waiting to be shared.