Walter L. Blanchard, 94, of St. Clairsville, OH died Saturday, November 3, 2018 at Park Health Center, St. Clairsville.
He was born December 4, 1923 in Baltimore, MD a son of the late Samuel C. and Alice F. Ellis Blanchard.
Walter was a retired Supervisor of Shipping and Planning at the former Ormet Corporation, a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Weyer Lodge F & AM, Osiris Shrine and served as Potentate in 1979 and proudly served in the U.S. Navy during WWII.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by several brothers and sisters.
Surviving are his loving wife, Barbara Booth Blanchard of St. Clairsville; a sister, Alice Charnasky of Timonium, MD; a brother, Richard Blanchard of Cockeysville, MD; two sisters-in-law, Nancy and Jim Frye of Wheeling, WV and Ann Ritz of Cocoa Beach, FL; several nieces and nephews.
Friends are invited to attend visitation on Thursday from 10 am until time of Funeral Liturgy with Mass at 11 am at St. Mary Catholic Church with Fr. Thomas Chillog as celebrant. Burial will follow in Union Cemetery, St. Clairsville.
Arrangements by Beck-Altmeyer Funeral Home & Crematory, St. Clairsville.
Memorial contributions may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children by going to “TMCFunding.com”
Share your thoughts and memories of Walter with his family at www.beckaltmeyer.com
Uncle Walter told me about his time as a boy treble in the choir of the Episcopalian Church of Grace and St. Peters on North Avenue in Baltimore. The choir director was willing to pay a boy to come early to lay out all the music in the choir stalls and pick it up at the end of the rehearsal. It meant an extra dime, I believe, but it was worth it to Walter at a time when there were not very many treats in the family! We had a good laugh about it together, since I was working with choirboys who were earning $30 a month!
Walter was one of my 8 uncles in the Blanchard family of Baltimore, Maryland, and he was my favorite. He had an infectious grin and a great sense of humor. My earliest memories include him because he and his mother Alice lived with my parents and me until he moved to Ohio to work at Ormet. He was a terrible tease, but very loving underneath. Walter had 18 nieces and nephews in his Baltimore family. Each year on Christmas Eve, he would go out late in the afternoon (!) to get presents for all of us. He liked the way there were no more crowds then, he told me later. His presents were always the best ones, too. One of the things that was always clear with Walter was his profound love for Barbara. Even the last time I visited them, he told me again how very much he loved her. He was always happy when she was there. Such a great love story!
May the love of God surround you and your family during this difficult time,
May you come to know that the love of God is with you always,
May your memories of Walter L. Blanchard, give you peace, comfort and strength…
Rest now in the arms of our Lord your mission on earth is complete.
I thank you for your service to our Country and my Freedom. You will not be forgotten.
My thoughts
and prayers to the family of ….
US Navy Veteran, Walter L. Blanchard, is “A True American Hero” God Bless†
† Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 †