Lanford Lynn Blanton

Surrounded by his loving family, Lanford "Lynn" Blanton passed away on November 28, 2018, after an eight-month battle with Bile Duct and Liver Cancer. Lynn was 88 years old.

Lynn is survived by his wife, Dolores, three daughters, Marci Lynne Elwess (Bill), Gina Louise Hulsey, and Lisa Marie Valdez (Ernie). "Papa" was blessed with six grandchildren, Benjamin Russell (Nicole), Andrew William (Christen), Timothy Lee (Demi), Lily Angelina, Evie Sophia and Sunny Franklynne. He also was super excited about having five great grandchildren, Beau Hunter, Waylon William, Adalynn Rae, Rune Wayne and Alva Dakota. His family was the love of his life.

Lanford "Lynn" Blanton was born on July 18, 1930, to Isaac Lanford and Jewell Mildred Blanton in Frederick, Oklahoma, where he grew up on a farm. Lynn was 11 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and our country entered World War II. He often reminisced that at age 12 he was operating a tractor working on the fields on their farm because all the men between 18 and 35 years had been drafted into the armed services leaving the kids and old men to do the work. Farming during his very early years was a very labor-intensive endeavor….so he knew early on he did not want to be a farmer.

After graduating from high school, Lynn went to college at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, on a partial baseball scholarship. Lynn graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in business with a specialty in accounting. In 1952, Lynn was inducted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After basic training, he was sent to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia; thereafter, he was sent to Korea, where he served the remainder of his time in the military. He was discharged in December 1954, as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U. S Infantry.

Lynn entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on July 11, 1955, and attended New Agent training in Quantico, Virginia, for two months at the Old Post Office building in Washington, DC. Lynn had occasions where he met Director Hoover during his New Agent Training. After graduating from the FBI Academy, Lynn's first office assignment was the San Diego Field Office where he worked for two years before being transferred to the San Francisco Field Office where he worked for three years. In 1960, he was transferred to the Los Angeles Field Office and thereafter assigned to the Riverside Resident Agency, and then later was appointed to the West Covina Resident Agency where he finished his career as the Senior Resident Agent. During Lynn's FBI career, he worked hundreds of cases and among them was the John F. Kennedy assassination. One of his biggest investigations happened in 1967, involving a double murder of two federal agents in Riverside. Lynn used Jimmy Hoffa as a government witness in one of his cases. This was the first and only time Hoffa was a witness for the government. He also assisted with the investigation of the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. During his tenure with the FBI, Lynn was the recipient of numerous Letters of Commendation for his tenacious investigative capabilities and steadfast resolve.

After 25 years with the FBI, Lynn retired in 1980. "It's been a lot of fun; I had a great time and a great career. I'm one of those fortunate people - I looked forward to going to work every morning."

Upon retiring, Lynn obtained a California Private Investigator's License and a California Real Estate License and began working for himself. He enjoyed dabbling in buying and selling real estate, but for the most part, he spent the next 20 years years working as a Forensic Accountant handling fraud cases. During the 1980's and 1990's, Lynn worked with a group of other retired agents who had experience in bank frauds and scams. They contracted with The Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) and The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and worked several cases during the bank and savings and loan debacle. This debacle was considered the largest fraud scheme perpetrated by several different people across the country and cost the U.S. Government and thereby the taxpayers the most money ever recorded. Billions of dollars (1980 dollars) were lost through the FSLIC and the FDIC. In 2001, he joined several other retired employees in assisting in one of the largest health care fraud undercover operations ever undertaken by the Bureau.

Lynn missed "investigating cheaters," but he finally retired from investigative work in January 2002. He spent many good days on the golf course, working in his workshop garage, trying to help his church with their finances and having fun learning and dabbling in the stock market. "I can honestly say I have never been bored."

In June 2002, Lynn and Dolores flew the whole family to Hawaii to celebrate Lisa's graduation from college and Benjamin's graduation from High School – being the Patriot Lynn was he arranged for a tour of Pearl Harbor because he wanted them to learn firsthand about one of the most pivotal moments in his life.

In 2015, Lynn celebrated his 85th birthday with family and friends that flew in as far away as Hawaii to celebrate this milestone with Lynn. The highlight of the party was seeing all his family and friends surrounding him and singing Happy Birthday. It was a special time of sharing great memories with friends he met during his career and fun times with Papa Lynn and Grandma Lorie! Lynn and Dolores lived in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and enjoyed many years of traveling and spending time with their family as much as possible.

Lynn left us with comforting words, "I'm 88 years old and I'm ready to meet my maker." He told the doctor, "I doubt you could find a person who has had more good friends and a more eventful and fun life. It's been a great ride!" Lynn will long be remembered for his loving ways, great smile, his endless cache of stories and jokes, for being the patriarch sounding board, his willingness to listen and share his wisdom, his financial acumen, his strong faith, his kindness, his patriotism, always having an opinion, Country music, and how he enjoyed spoiling and loving his family. He was loved by many and especially by those that called him "Papa."

Lynn will be buried at the Riverside National Veterans Cemetery in Riverside, California, at 10am, December 28, 2018. A "Celebration of Life" will follow at 1pm, at the Red Hill Country Club, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

If you would like to honor the life of Lanford "Lynn" Blanton, memorial contributions can be sent to the Society of Former Agents of the FBI Foundation, 3717 Fettler Park Drive, Dumfries, VA 22025, or made through the website www.socxfbi.org.