Thomas Dewitt Blanchard

Thomas DeWitt Blanchard, age 92, of Grants Pass, died Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at his home.

A private family memorial service is planned. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

He was born September 12, 1916 in Medford, Oregon to Harvey DeWitt and Stella Peelor Blanchard, and grew up in Prospect and Murphy. He graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1934 where he was a member of the State Champion GPHS tennis team. He later attended the Oakland Polytechnic College of Engineering in Oakland, California.

On November 1942 in Reno, Nevada, he married Grace M. Thrasher of Kerby won proceeded him in death. They were married for 61 years.

In 1942 he joined the Oregon Highway Department (now Oregon Department of Transportation). He later worked in the timber and lumber industry including McCloud Lumber Company in California and Brown Brothers Lumber Company in Josephine County. He eventually returned to the Oregon Highway Department where he spent nearly 30 years maintaining state highway bridges in the Southwestern Oregon area. He retired as the regional Bridge Foreman in 1978.

After retirement, he enjoyed fishing the Rogue River, wood cutting, gardening, and spending time with his children, his grandchildren, and in later years his great-grandchildren. He also enjoyed his cats.

Survivors include three sons, Mike (Mary) Blanchard of Henderson, Nevada, John (Connie) Blanchard of Merlin, Tom (Pam) Blanchard of Grants Pass; and a daughter, Ann (Gordon) Soule of Beaverton, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. His sister, Betty also proceeded him in death.