As Homer lay in his hospital bed at Cottage Hospital in Grosse Pointe, recovering from his first stroke in August of 1993, I showed him a preliminary design for the cover of the flyer I had designed for the First Annual Homer LeBlanc Muskie Fishing Tournament.  I planned and organized this tournament partly to honor his expertise, and partly to encourage him and give him a good reason to recover.

     A smile lit up his face--the first I had seen since his debilitating stroke, and in the ensuing days he began to practice signing his name for all the autograph seekers who would come from miles away for this tournament.

     I knew then that he was going to make it.  I proceeded with the planning, found a sponsor, and went out to recruit participants.  As the organizer, I never did get to fish much in this tournament myself, but Homer loved every minute of it.

     We made plans to go hunting that fall, but a second stroke claimed Homer's life before the season started.  I lost a hunting partner, a fishing buddy, a mentor, and a friend, but the tournament named after him paid tribute to this great muskie master.

     It wasn't until after his death that the Michigan Ontario Muskie Club, which Homer founded, held an annual fishing tournament in his name.

--Don Miller