Rae Blackmon

1928 - 2017

Rae Alice (Walcott) Blackmon, 88, of West Simsbury, beloved wife for 62 years of the late Leon C. "Lee" Blackmon Jr., passed away peacefully on January 28, 2017. Rae was a loving, devoted wife and mother, with many long time treasured friends. She will be missed by all who knew her. Rae was an avid gardener and a member of the Simsbury Garden Club for 40 years, and was involved with the CT Horticultural Society, and the UConn Master Gardener Program. She was a talented seamstress and photographer who loved to ski, canoe and travel the world with her husband Lee. She was a member of the Humane Society and a volunteer for various organizations, including Scouts, the Children's Services of CT and Tootin' Hills School in West Simsbury. Rae was born in Akron, OH on June 7, 1928 to Raymond H. and Rita (Foote) Walcott. She grew up in Cranford, NJ where she graduated from Cranford High School in 1946. She then attended Bates College in Lewiston, ME where she majored in Mathematics and served as president of the Women's Student Government. Upon graduation Rae worked at Aetna Life Insurance Co. in Hartford, CT until her marriage to Lee Blackmon in 1952. They lived in Washington D.C. where Rae was employed at the National Academy of Sciences, then in New York City where she was hired to work on a major statistical study for the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute. Wanting to be closer to the ski slopes, Rae and Lee moved to Connecticut in 1955, where Rae was employed for several years at Connecticut General Life Insurance Co. in Bloomfield. The Blackmons lived in the towns of Windsor and East Granby, then settled in West Simsbury in 1968. Rae will be greatly missed by her daughter Diane Rae (Blackmon) King, son-in-law Daniel King and granddaughter Bailey Rae Taylor of Phoenix, AZ, brother Peter Walcott of Berkeley Heights, NJ, nephew Wayne Walcott, nieces Cherie Wurth, Barbara McLaughlin and Christine Morgan and their families. She is predeceased by her husband, Leon C. Blackmon, Jr., son Thomas Walcott Blackmon, sisters Patricia Walcott and Joanna Walcott and sister-in-law Gladys Walcott. The family would like to thank St. Francis Hospital for their kindness and care. Services for the family will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rae's memory to the Bates College Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund or to the charity of your choice.