Obituary for Willard "Joe" Alan Blankenship
WILLARD ALAN BLANKENSHIP, 78 of Darlington, MD died on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, Bel Air, MD. Married on January 28, 1966, he had shared 57 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Arbutus Lucille (Coleman) Blankenship.
Born on September 21, 1944 in Cassity, WV, he was one of nine children born to the late Charles Herbert Blankenship and Alice Margaret (Reilly) Blankenship. Joe, as he was known, was a veteran of the US Army and had worked as a maintenance worker for over 25 years with Harford County Government. A family man, he loved his children and grandchildren, to care for the home mowing the grass, doing landscaping and it was known about the neighborhood he kept the property at its peak at all times.
Joe loved to take drives in his truck to look for deer, take the grandchildren to see beaver dams and was quite the cook with his specialty being his baked beans. He enjoyed all types of music; however, class rock and the “50’s were the favorites. He had a quick wit- coming back with those “one liners” and a great sense of humor. He always made a memorable first impression with everyone he met.
Joe had a strong faith in God, put family first and his kindness as well as caring nature will be missed.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by:
Two children-
Cynthia Lynne Keys (Lonnie) of Butner, NC
Joseph Patrick Blankenship (Karen) of Deer Park, MD
A sister, Bernice Olive Yeager (Harvey) of Darlington, MD
Three grandchildren-
Brandi Mae Antes (Stephen) of Raleigh, NC
Kayla Michelle Brown (Darrell) of Bel Air, MD
Stephanie Lynne Randow (Cory) of Rising Sun, MD
Seven great grandchildren: Lily, Josie, Clare, Grayson, Quinn, Clint and Carly in addition to numerous nieces and nephews with their families that he just adored.
He was preceded in death by his seven siblings: Lillian Scott; twins-Pauline Crozier and Phyllis Scott; twins loss during infancy-Charles and Alice Blankenship; Karen Neaves and John Blankenship.
Services will be held at Harkins Funeral Home, 600 Main Street, Delta, PA on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 with a viewing from 12-1 p.m. followed immediately with the funeral service. Mr. Gary Henry will officiate with interment in Darlington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, his family would appreciate memorial contributions to Franklin Baptist Church, 2106 Franklin Church Road, Darlington, MD 21034
Born on September 21, 1944 in Cassity, WV, he was one of nine children born to the late Charles Herbert Blankenship and Alice Margaret (Reilly) Blankenship. Joe, as he was known, was a veteran of the US Army and had worked as a maintenance worker for over 25 years with Harford County Government. A family man, he loved his children and grandchildren, to care for the home mowing the grass, doing landscaping and it was known about the neighborhood he kept the property at its peak at all times.
Joe loved to take drives in his truck to look for deer, take the grandchildren to see beaver dams and was quite the cook with his specialty being his baked beans. He enjoyed all types of music; however, class rock and the “50’s were the favorites. He had a quick wit- coming back with those “one liners” and a great sense of humor. He always made a memorable first impression with everyone he met.
Joe had a strong faith in God, put family first and his kindness as well as caring nature will be missed.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by:
Two children-
Cynthia Lynne Keys (Lonnie) of Butner, NC
Joseph Patrick Blankenship (Karen) of Deer Park, MD
A sister, Bernice Olive Yeager (Harvey) of Darlington, MD
Three grandchildren-
Brandi Mae Antes (Stephen) of Raleigh, NC
Kayla Michelle Brown (Darrell) of Bel Air, MD
Stephanie Lynne Randow (Cory) of Rising Sun, MD
Seven great grandchildren: Lily, Josie, Clare, Grayson, Quinn, Clint and Carly in addition to numerous nieces and nephews with their families that he just adored.
He was preceded in death by his seven siblings: Lillian Scott; twins-Pauline Crozier and Phyllis Scott; twins loss during infancy-Charles and Alice Blankenship; Karen Neaves and John Blankenship.
Services will be held at Harkins Funeral Home, 600 Main Street, Delta, PA on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 with a viewing from 12-1 p.m. followed immediately with the funeral service. Mr. Gary Henry will officiate with interment in Darlington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, his family would appreciate memorial contributions to Franklin Baptist Church, 2106 Franklin Church Road, Darlington, MD 21034