Gene Blankenship

Morris “Gene” Blankenship, 85, of the Caney Fork Community, peacefully passed on to be with his Lord and Savior in the early hours of June 25, 2016. He leaves behind his wife of 43 years, Jane Adel Blankenship, and six children: Shirley Ann Moody, Michael Blankenship (Debbie), Cyndee Good (Richard), Michelle Cabe (Chad), Patricia Brown (Coy), and Andy Andrew Gordon (Ilona), along with 16 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Born to Joe and Ina Mae Blankenship on May 3, 1931, in Mart, TX, Gene worked in the cotton fields with his family beginning at the age of three. At the age of 16, he joined the Marine Corp and trained at Camp Pendleton, Cal. Gene was stationed in Hawaii then served in the Korean War as part the first marine division on the Chosen Reservoir. Following the Korean War, he returned to the states to Camp Lejune, NC. Gene was in the Marine Corp for 8 years (1947-1955) before retiring and moving to Texas. Only 2 months later, Gene joined the Air Force and was sent to RAF Lakenheath in England. He returned to the United States in 1957 to McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando, Fla. He retired form the Air Force in 1968 and began working for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in Orlando for the Crimes Against Person division. He worked his way up from Road Patrol to Detective, then Sergeant, and finally was promoted to Lieutenant in charge of Crimes Against Person in 1973. His specialty was homicide. Gene took an early retirement after moving to Cullowhee, NC to be with his family on June 24, 1982. Starting in the spring of 1986, Gene carried mail on Route 67 for 14 years. On April 5, 1976, Gene’s life was forever changed when he met his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Gene was well-known for his kind-hearted nature, his willingness to go above and beyond to help anyone who was in need, as well as his love for gardening and sharing the bounty, but nothing compared to the love he felt for his children and grandchildren. Services will be held at Appalachian Funeral Home in Sylva on Tuesday, June 28. Family will receive friends starting at 11:00 am. Services will begin at 1:00 pm with graveside services following at Lower Coward Cemetery. There will be a grievance meal at John’s Creek Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.