Joseph LeClair was born on August 31,1920 in Tignish PEI, the son of Thomas LeClair and Melanie Bernard. Joseph attended the village school in Tignish, the Prince of Wales College and Normal School in Charlottetown where he obtained his teacher's license in 1937. He took up further studies at the Commercial Academy in Quebec for one year and in 1938 he entered Le Petit Seminaire St. Joseph de Trois-Riviere,Que. where he spent 7 years and graduated with a B.A. degree in 1945. In September of the same year, he entered the Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax and was ordained to the priesthood on July 24,1949, in Mont Carmel Church by Bishop James Boyle of Charlottetown. He was appointed pastor of St. Augustine's/Hunter River in 1956 and served the parishes for the next 11 years. In 1967 Father LeClair was appointed pastor of Palmer Road Parish which he served until 1978, then to Wellington Parish until 1984, and then to St Paul's Parish of Summerside. Father LeClair was stricken by a sudden illness in July 1987 followed by a lapse to a comatose state.   He remained in a coma until his death.