The American Red Cross family is heartbroken to announce the loss of one of our most devoted and beloved humanitarians, Dr. Levon Aldon LeBan, who passed away while on deployment serving communities in Indiana.
Dr. LeBan was serving in the very way he lived: stepping forward in someone else’s hour of greatest need. A cherished member of the Louisiana Red Cross since 2016, Dr. LeBan answered the call through 41 disaster deployments across the nation and beyond. He began his Red Cross journey as a grassroots Disaster Action Team responder, comforting families in the immediate aftermath of home fires. He went on to serve in nearly every line of Red Cross service.
As a pillar of the Red Cross Spiritual Care Team, Dr. LeBan carried a grounding presence into spaces shattered by tragedy. Whether kneeling beside a family who had lost everything or offering counsel to fellow responders facing exhaustion, he had a profound gift for turning despair into comfort.
"Dr. LeBan was a bright light in our darkest hours," said Kenneth St. Charles, Ph.D., Regional Chief Executive Officer for the American Red Cross Louisiana Region. "He had a rare gift for meeting people in their hardest moments and answering them with dignity, warmth and faith. Whether he was sitting with a family who had just lost everything or quietly lifting the spirits of the responders around him, Dr. LeBan embodied everything the Red Cross mission strives to be. We are heartbroken by this loss, but so grateful for the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind."
Service was the foundation of who Dr. LeBan was. A proud native of New Orleans, U.S. Army veteran, twice-honored Fulbright Scholar, crisis-response specialist, theologian, author and lifelong educator, Dr. LeBan spent decades lifting up his community. He shaped generations of youth as a multi-time Teacher of the Year in Orleans Parish schools, taught at universities across the nation and broke barriers as the first African American President of the New Orleans Chapter of the Alliance for Good Government. From his dedicated leadership as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) New Orleans Chapter, to his service with the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and community crisis intervention initiatives, his impact was as vast as his heart.
Yet, beyond the long list of degrees, awards and deployments, the true measure of Dr. LeBan’s life lies in the quiet moments of compassion he offered strangers on the worst days of their lives. He was a bright, steady light in our darkest hours.
Dr. LeBan’s extraordinary spirit of selflessness will forever remain woven into the fabric of the Red Cross mission. His unwavering commitment to serving others in times of crisis serves as a model for humanitarian action and exemplifies the core values upon which the organization is founded. As the Red Cross continues its work, Dr. LeBan’s legacy of service, compassion and leadership will continue to inspire current and future generations, ensuring his impact endures far beyond his lifetime.
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