Obituaries

Born in Millbury Massachusetts April 30, 1932 and went to be with our Lord on July 10, 2017. Robert “Bob” as he was known to his family, friends and associates was a gifted athlete in football, basketball and his true love baseball. He went on to play baseball in college at the University of Massachusetts where he played first base. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1955. He relocated to southern California where he began work in the aerospace industry at Lockheed. Bob progressed in his career at Lockheed holding ever increasing positions of responsibility, and complexity. He was an integral part of many Lockheed aircraft programs that can and cannot be mentioned. Some of the better known were the C-130 Hercules, F-104 Starfighter, Cheyenne Helicopter, the L-2000 SST supersonic transport, the ageless Navy P-3 and many foreign partner projects. His final role was that of Vice President of the USAF F-22 “Raptor” fighter program where he was integral in the program capture, followed by being the program manager. Bob retired from Lockheed in 1991 after 36 years with the company. His next chapter took him back to his love of the great outdoors and horses where he and his wife Irene started a cattle ranch in the “high country” area of Northern New Mexico. Always active, Bob took on a number of consulting roles for his former employer with the most interesting being the project management of a joint US/Russian facility built to destroy Russian missiles and warheads. As part of this job, Bob spent many months abroad, always longing to get back to his ranch and the great outdoors. Bob grew his ranch, cattle and rode his horses alongside many friends and neighbors. His love for hunting was always a priority for Bob who, with family and friends would hunt Elk, Antelope and game birds when he wasn’t working on the ranch or spending time playing his favorite game; cribbage. It was also during this time that Bob began rediscovering his love for wood working, a passion of his youth as taught by his father and close family members when he was a boy. Self-taught on many of the finer woodworking methods, tools and designs of the craft, he began making chairs and advanced to high quality intricate furniture pieces as he honed his skills. In 2005 Bob and Irene moved from their beloved B² Ranch in New Mexico to Sherman Texas. Although he moved his heart was still “in the high country” as he would often profess. In Sherman he truly refines his wood working skill and built many pieces of furniture, some which he design, built then donated to the St. Mary’s Church for their fund raisers. He was working on this years “gift” up to recently when his health began to fail. Bob fought a gallant fight against the heart disease which final claimed him on July 10, 2017. Bob was preceded to be with the Lord by his parents, Harold and Irene Blanchard and his older brother Harold. Bob is survived by his wife of 40 years, Irene Blanchard, his son Robert Blanchard and daughter Pamela Luna, his step-children Renee Thomas, Jennifer Petit, and Jeffery Ogata. Bob is also survived by his younger sister Ruth Deroy and her family along with 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.