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3.20.2003
Leigh Ann Moreu, 21; credo: 'follow your heart'
If you knew her, you loved her.
The fact that she was loved by all is what set 21-year-old Leigh Ann
Moreau apart, her family and friends say.
It may have been the radiant, infectious smile that initially drew the
many, many people she counted among her friends.
Or the way she lived her life with passion, urging others to "follow
your heart." It was by that credo that Leigh Ann lived her life,
said her mother, Jean. Even when her family disagreed with some of her
choices, Leigh Ann would gently remind them that she had to follow her
heart. As a testament to her belief in that motto, Leigh Ann had a tattoo
on her lower back of Chinese symbols that expressed the phrase.
Leigh Ann -- who was known affectionately as Leigh Lu, Leigh-Leigh, Leigh
Ro or just Leigh -- lived many years in Pawtucket and moved to Stadden
Street in Providence in 1989. She attended Our Lady of Consolation School
in Pawtucket, St. Patrick School in Providence and Classical High School,
where she made the honor roll.
Last December, she received her bachelor's degree in art therapy from
Springfield College, in Springfield, Mass.; she would have received her
diploma in ceremonies this spring.
She had already applied to and been accepted by several graduate schools,
her family said.
Leigh Ann planned to pursue a career in art therapy. She dreamed of helping
to heal people with physical or mental ailments by encouraging them to
express themselves through art.
A dark-haired young woman and middle child, Leigh Ann lived the way she
painted -- truly and vibrantly, with deep appreciation for the simplicity
and beauty of life, her family said.
While art therapy was her chosen career, her love for the arts took many
forms, including that of music.
Last summer, she celebrated Bob Dylan's return to the Newport Folk Festival
by attending the event with another Dylan fan -- her father, Richard.
"It was through her love of music that she truly connected with
those whom she loved," Jean Moreau said.
Leigh Ann had gone to The Station nightclub with a group of friends,
only some of whom survived the fire.
Her family believes that Leigh Ann remains with them, in another form.
"Every time you hear a dog bark, a bird chirp or some random critter
scurry, you will know she is there, helping that critter through whatever
woes it is experiencing, just as she will continue to do with all of us,"
her mother said.
-- Karen A. Davis
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