Natalie Leduc

Natalie Bombard, 1946, the year she first appears in local newspapers for her skiing.

Natalie Bombard, 4th Annual Willard Hanmer Guideboat Race, 1967

Born: September 10, 1930

Died: December 8, 2020

Married: Glenn T. Corl, 1957; Dr. Lucien Leduc, 1973 (d. 1989)

Children: Douglas Corl, Deborah Corl, Michael Corl, Kathleen Corl

Natalie Bombard was a skier for Paul Smith's College and St. Lawrence University; she won Senior Golden Skis in 1952 and 1956, and the New York Women's Slalom Championship, 1948. She taught skiing at Mt. Pisgah for the Saranac Lake Schools with her mother, Charlotte Bombard. She entered the first Willard Hanmer Guideboat Race in 1963 as the only woman racer; her father, Doug Bombard was also a guideboat racer.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, July 2, 1963

She was one of the first female students at Paul Smiths, and she served as Queen of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival in 1951 and as Grand Marshall in 2005. She is also the president of the Pine Ridge Cemetery Association.

Natalie loved Saranac Lake history, and had a large collection of photographs and artifacts, many of which she donated to Historic Saranac Lake. Many of the photographs in this wiki came from her.

She also owned Tandel Office Supplies, and was a real estate broker for Rob Grant & Associates Real Estate.

Natalie remembers taking dinner to her father during World War II at the Airplane Observation tower on top of the Hotel Saranac through the streets of the blacked out village. She was the drum major for the Saranac Lake High School marching band in 1948,

She lived at 7 Maple Street from 1945 through 1957, and then at 11 1/2 Riverside Drive. In later years, she lived at 69 Mount Pisgah Lane, at the foot of the mountain she loved.

Natalie's library of books on skiing is now housed in the Adirondack Room of the Saranac Lake Free Library.

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Natalie Leduc

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 12, 2020

Natalie B. (Bombard) Leduc

Ntalie B. (Bombard) Leduc, age 90, of Saranac Village at Will Rogers, Saranac Lake, died Tuesday Dec. 8, 2020, at Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid.

Natalie was born in Saranac Lake on Sept. 10, 1930, the daughter of Douglas and Charlotte (Littlejohn) Bombard. Early on in life she was to married to Glenn T. Corl. In 1970 she married Lucien Leduc in Saranac Lake; he predeceased her in 1989. Later in life she was a partner to Cy (Cyril) Murphy from Albany, who predeceased her in 2019.

Natalie was a lifelong resident of Saranac Lake and worked as a physical education teacher for St. Pius X and Paul Smith’s College. She was an avid skier and skied for Paul Smith College and St. Lawrence University, where she won Senior Golden Skis in 1952 and 1956, and the women’s Slalom Champion in 1948. Natalie taught skiing at Mount Pisgah for many years, and in 1963 she was the first woman to race in the first Willard Hanmer Guideboat Races in Saranac Lake.

Natalie was queen of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival in 1951 and was Grand Marshal in 2005. Natalie loved Saranac Lake history and had a large collection of photographs and artifacts, many of which were donated to Historic Saranac Lake. She owned Tandel Office Supplies and most recently worked as a real estate broker for Rob Grant & Associates Real Estate. Natalie was also president of the Pine Ridge Cemetery Association.

Natalie is survived by her sons Douglas (Arlana) Corl of Alaska and Michael Corl of New Hampshire; her two daughters Deborah Black of Burlington, Vermont, and Kathleen (Richard) Leidig of Saranac Lake; and her brothers Doug (Marie Louise) Bombard of Manlius and Jon (Ria) Bombard of Saranac Lake. Natalie is also survived by her grandchilden Terra (Greg) Rogers, William (Gina) Leidig, Sean Corl, Mike Corl, Scott Maher and Jennifer (Adam) Largess; and her step-granddaughter Maria (Keith) Braun. She has several nieces and nephews. Natalie was particularly close with her niece Tiffany Bombard. Also her great-grandchildren: Ashlynne Leidig, Aubree Leidig, Annaleigh Leidig, Alyvia Leidig, Harper Braun, Eddie Braun, Vivian Maher and Max Largess.

In addition to Natalie’s husband Lucien, she was predeceased by her father and mother, her brother James Bombard, her sister Madeline Wells, her grandson Eric Corl and her step-grandson Tyler Leidig.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, 20 Church St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be scheduled for the spring at a date and time convenient for the family. Burial will also occur in the spring in Pine Ridge Cemetery at a date and time convenient for the family.

Family and friends wishing to remember Natalie B. Leduc can send memorial contributions to the Historic Saranac Lake nonprofit foundation in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home, 20 Church St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983. Family and friends can also share their memories and sign the online guest book at www.fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com

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Natalie Bombard, holder of the New York Women's Downhill slalom and combined Slalom and Downhill Championships, will reign as queen at Saranac Lake's 1951 Winter Carnival

Lake Placid News, February 3, 2006

Memories of a former Winter Carnival queen

By BRITTANY BOMBARD Enterprise Features Editor SARANAC LAKE -

Although it's been more than 50 years since Natalie Leduc graced the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival as its reigning queen, the avid skier and real estate agent's hometown pride hasn't, changed a bit.

"We have a long history," Leduc said. "I love showing Saranac Lake to prospective buyers. There's a lot to be proud of."

King and Queen Tom Fina and Natalie Bombard

In 1951, when Leduc (then Natalie Bombard) rode atop a bale of hay with her fellow royalty, King Tom Fina, in the annual carnival parade, she had no idea she would take the same ride down Broadway as the carnival's 2004 Grand Marshall.

"It was a great honor to be chosen as the athlete of the year," Leduc said, noting that the king and queen were chosen based upon athletic accomplishment in her days rather than on good citizenship. "Little as it is, it was my hometown."

Although she was proud to be royalty, Leduc said leaving her then boyfriend at St. Lawrence University, where she was a student, was tough.

Leduc was a Class A Nordic and alpine skier in those days, and still continues to be known as the "woman who taught Saranac Lake to ski," having taught skiing for more than 40 years.

As a third-generation Saranac Laker, Leduc said the Winter Carnival in an important part of the community because it brings Saranac Lakers and the rest of the North Country together.

"It's part of our heritage." Leduc said, adding that it is also an important event for her grandchildren. "They center their winter around Winter Carnival. It's fun to point out to them how hard people work to build their (parade) floats."

One of the most memorable parts of carnival for Leduc is the Philadelphia Mummers, a band, which Leduc said dressed up in elaborate costumes and marched down Broadway with their banjos and guitars.

'They were just phenomenal," Leduc said. Leduc remembers winter carnivals in the past as having more bands and dances, and more elaborate, larger palaces. She also said that on Broadway and all around Saranac Lake there used to be window contests and that people used to decorate their homes for carnival.

However, she said with the hustle of everyday life these days, there is less time for people with families to volunteer.

Nevertheless, Leduc still has faith in everything the village's most-celebrated event represents, including its longevity — even in the face of warm temperatures and rainy weather.

"They always do something," Leduc said, referring to the life of this year's ice palace.

For this year's carnival, Leduc said she will have a dozen or so of her grandchildren and their friends, staying at her Mt. Pisgah Lane home.

"It's the spirit of North Country pride," Leduc said of Carnival "…and you always hope your picture is taken for Mark Kurtz's slide show."

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 18, 1995

Leduc named to National Historical Committee

SARANAC LAKE - Natalie Bombard Leduc of Saranac Lake was recently appointed to the USSA National Historical Committee, thus filling the vacancy left by the passing of Gloria Chadwick. Members of this committee represent the United States Ski Association on the 15-member board of directors of the US National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum in Ishpeming, Mich. She has been a member of the Final Voting Panel for the Hall of Fame for a number of years. Leduc's lifelong dedication to skiing dates back to 1948 when she was reigning New York State Champion while in high school. She attended St. Lawrence University on an athletic scholarship and raced both alpine and cross country under the "Father of American Skiing," Otto Schneibs.

She has been a certified Professional Ski Instructor of America (PSIA) since the 1960s, and has taught skiing at Mt. Whitney and Whiteface over the years. She also directed the Saranac Lake Central School Elementary Ski Program for 18 years and was a pioneer in the instruction of the developmentally disabled during the 1950s and 60s. She continues to teach at Whiteface Mountain as an instructor for the Whiteface Mountain Sno Birds, and is also a member of the racing team who won the Whiteface Challenge in 1995.

Leduc is a nationally known ski historian whose library was selected as one of 12 used to compile the "National Ski Register Books" written by Allen Adler.

She is also a founding member of International Skiing Historical Association.

Leduc is involved in community activities as well. She is president of Pine Ridge Cemetery Association, chairman of the American Cancer Society Daffodil Drive, co-chairman of Friends of the Library Book Fair, board of directors of the local chapter of the American Red Cross, chairman of High Peaks Hospice Ski-A-Thon and Holiday Dove Drive, and a member of Friends of Pisgah and Saranac Lake Ski. Club.

She has a great interest in local village activities and was recently appointed to the local Industrial and Commercial Incentive Board (ICIB).

Leduc is a retired associate professor of physical education from Paul Smith's College, former owner of Tandel Office Supplies, and is presently a licensed real estate agent and a top producer with Rob Grant & Associates Real Estate of Saranac Lake.

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From a Letter to the Editor by Ed Lamy in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 12, 1954

Skaters at the Curling Club. Bernadette Harrigan, Alice Walsh, unknown, Natalie Leduc, Phyllis Horton, John Walsh, Ruth Lamy (undated)

Dear Sir:

For more than 40 years I have advocated a covered ice skating rink in Saranac Lake. A couple of times it looked favorable, but each time, nothing was done.

Years ago we had a lot of good racing talent here, also some very good figure skating prospects, thanks to the covered curling club skating rink which was mostly responsible for two of our prominent young citizens to be still well upon the figure skating world (Alice and John Walsh). If we could still have the use of that small piece of covered ice it would probably have turned out several more talented skaters like Phyllis Horton, Natalie Bombard, Ruth Lamy, Bernadette Harrigan, Phyllis Krinovitz and Joyce Durgan did turn out to be wonderful skaters, but they had to depend on the Lake Placid Arena to complete their talents…

See also:

• Natalie Leduc Interview

External links:

• Curiously Adirondack: Natalie talks to Ed Kanze about Saranac Lake's historic Pine Ridge Cemetery
• North Country Public Radio,North Country at Work: Remembering Saranac Lake native Natalie Leduc
• " StoryCorps: Remembering the Lake Placid Olympics
• Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 10, 2020,‘She worked so hard for Saranac Lake’
• Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 16, 2020, My neighbor Natalie by Molly Rose Burgess

Comments

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2010-02-13 12:09:26 Peter Sayles says, "I took lessons from Natalie when I was in first grade at St. Bernard's school. The bus would pick us (and our skis) up after school, and drop us off at Mt. Pisgah." —amycatania

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2010-02-13 19:23:54 Lorraine Duprey Kelley says, "Natalie and her mom taught me to ski. Then I taught skiing for years at Pisgah and ran the program for several years. I also remember the Mummers in the parades and how competetive the floats were. My Mom worked at the Adirondack National Bank which became Marine Midland. The banks were always in competition along with the AMA." — amycatania

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2010-02-13 19:33:38 Barbara Mullin Dodds says, "I remember going to Pisgah from St. Bernard's too. It was fun once we got up there but hauling all that gear to school so we could go after school was a nightmare! I also remember the Mummer's in the parade...guess that dates me a bit!" —amycatania

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2010-02-13 19:35:07 Louise Hartson says, "I remember the Mummers in the parade too!! I also remember the rope tow at Mt. Pisgah!!" —amycatania

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2010-02-24 21:04:49 Natalie is an excellent human being! I had the honor of being her friend when I lived in SL, and she's just wonderful. —24.107.232.170