Ronald Mark LeLeux

Ron LeLeux, the former mayor of the city of Sulphur, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on July 28 in Katy, Texas, from complications of frontotemporal degeneration (FTD). He was 71. His outgoing personality, quick wit, and deep affection for his hometown of Sulphur shaped both his public service and his friendships.

Ron’s friends are invited to join his family in honoring his legacy on Saturday, August 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Parish Hall at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Sulphur.

Ron was, above all, a loving husband, an awesome dad and “Paw,” a brother, an uncle, and a loyal friend. He will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality, his sense of humor, his gift for storytelling, an extraordinary memory, and his ability to strike up a conversation — and often a friendship — with almost anyone he met.

Ron served as mayor of Sulphur from 2002 to 2010, bringing to the office the same enthusiasm and personal touch that defined his life.

During his years as mayor, Ron led efforts to establish land-use and zoning regulations for Sulphur, which were approved in 2003. He also helped give the city a renewed public identity by redesigning Sulphur’s logo and promoting the slogan that reflected the values he believed defined his hometown: “Faith, Family, and Community.”

Ron also believed that strong communities were built by giving people reasons to gather, celebrate, and become acquainted. With the help of volunteers, several events that became part of Sulphur’s civic life were created during his administration, including Christmas Under the Oaks, Heritage Days and National Night Out.

With City Council approval, Sulphur purchased property on North Huntington Street for the new City Hall and Municipal Business Center. In 2003, the city also bought the Hixson property and entered into agreements with Sulphur Parks and Recreation to help create The Grove and Heritage Square.

One of the defining moments of Ron’s mayoral service came in 2005, when Hurricane Rita devastated Southwest Louisiana. In the difficult days and weeks that followed, Ron worked closely with city departments and employees to help the city recover, ensuring that crews had the equipment, resources, and support needed to restore essential services and help residents begin rebuilding their community.

During his tenure as mayor, he represented the city in the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA) and served as vice president for LMA District G from 2008 to 2009.

Ron’s life of service extended well beyond City Hall. He spent much of his professional career in higher education, working with students and student-athletes at Northeast Louisiana University (NLU), the University of Arkansas, and McNeese State University.

At McNeese, he served as director of athletic compliance and academics. Before that, he directed academic support for nearly 300 student-athletes at the University of Arkansas. Earlier, at NLU, he worked as an academic counselor and instructor and helped oversee an academic program for football players that received national recognition. At NLU, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling, the first graduate of that then new program.

But NLU was far more than Ron’s alma mater. He loved the university and remained immensely proud of his association with it throughout his life. He served as Student Government Association President in 1976–77, and he represented Louisiana college students as the student member on the Louisiana State Board of Trustees for Colleges and Universities. He remained active in NLU alumni organizations.

Ron was also a writer and storyteller. He wrote and published three books: West Elizabeth Street: Portraits and Letters (1999), Louisiana Stories: Growing Up in the Bayou State (2000), and Along the Way (2006). His books reflected the same qualities his friends knew so well—his remarkable memory, his affection for people and places, and his belief that good stories were meant to be shared.

Ron is survived by his wife, Renee Blackmon LeLeux; his daughter, Abby LeLeux Ingram, and her husband, Tyler, and two grandsons, Richard Mark and Andrew Tyler; his sister, Barbara LeLeux Bowman, and her husband, Bruce; his brother, Ed LeLeux, and his wife, Janet; his sister-in-law, Amy Stewart; his mother-in-law, Mercedes Blackmon; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ophie J. LeLeux and Ruth LeLeux Stine; his father-in-law, Leo Blackmon; and his brother-in-law, Steve Blackmon.

Those who knew Ron understood that public service was deeply personal to him. He loved Sulphur not as an abstract idea but as a community.

He also had a way of making that affection unmistakable. Visitors, acquaintances, and longtime friends alike often heard the same farewell when leaving his company: “Goodbye. Take care. And thank you for loving your city.”

It was more than one of Ron’s favorite sayings. In many ways, it was the philosophy by which he lived. Ron believed communities were worth loving, friendships were worth tending, stories were worth telling, and public service was worth doing well.

Those who gather on August 29 will have the chance to return some of that affection -- to tell stories, laugh, remember, and celebrate a man who spent much of his life reminding others to love the place they called home.

Ron loved “passing a good time.” We invite everyone to dress casually in whatever colors make you happy.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) in Ron’s memory to support research and efforts to find effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for the disease.