BREWER – Thomas J. Blanchard, 87, died Monday, June 27, 2011, at the Maine Veterans Home. He was born June 19, 1924, in South Brewer, son of Thomas and Bertha (Townsend) Blanchard.
Thomas grew up in Brewer on Pendleton Street, and attended Brewer schools. He proudly served as an enlisted Marine in World War II. Thomas worked in the lumber industry on the Penobscot River for National Wholesale Distributors and later moved to their sales department. He also worked for J.C. Penney in both Maine and Florida. Thomas was a member of Bangor Elks Lodge No. 244, Brewer Eagles Club Penobscot Aire No. 1377, Brewer American Legion Post No. 98, Brewer Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4917, and Disabled American Veterans, John F. McPherson Chapter No. 1. He loved to dance, play pool, golf, and will always be remembered for his sense of humor.
Thomas is survived by his loving wife, who truly loved and cared for him, Linda Blanchard; brother, Paul Blanchard and his wife, Gen, of Sebring, Fla.; granddaughter, Belinda Kachel and her husband, Eric, and their children, Christian and Carleigh, of Hingham, Mass., who loved great-grampy dearly; son, Roger Blanchard of Florence, Mass; sisters-in-law, Muriel Blanchard of Gorham and Virginia Mishio of Holden; brother-in-law, Robert CoWallis of Bangor; stepdaughters, Tess Hakkila and her husband, Pete, and their children, Bryan, Colby and Ellie, of Portland, and Mitzi Lee Erickson and her daughter, Ashley, of Portland; three additional granddaughters, five great-grandchildren; and best friend, Arthur Sites and his wife, Jackie. In addition to his parents, Thomas was predeceased by his first wife, Evelyn (CoWallis) Blanchard; sons, Thomas A. Blanchard Jr. and Ronald Blanchard; brothers, Newman, Guy and Maynard Blanchard; and sister, Marion Spinney and her husband, Paul.
A service of remembrance will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, June 30, at Pine Grove Remembrance Center, 1347 Hammond St., Bangor, with the Rev. Margaret Beckman, Community Health and Counseling Services chaplain, officiating. Interment will be afterward at Pine Grove Cemetery, Bangor. A service of Memorial Alternatives, 205 Center St., Bangor.