Robert J. Blaisdell

Robert J. Blaisdell, age 73, passed away on Sunday August 21, 2005 following a brief illness. A memorial service will be held this Saturday, August 27 at 9:30 am at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 3550 E. Knox Rd., Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Blaisdell is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jeannette P. Blaisdell and their three children, Jim Blaisdell of Virginia, John Blaisdell of Tennessee and Paula Dunny of Phoenix, five grandchildren, and his sister Harriet Petersen of Houston, Texas. Born on August 24, 1931, he attended Edward Little High School in his hometown of Auburn Maine, where he participated on the varsity swim team. Following one year at the University of Maine, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York graduating as a Second Lieutenant in June 1954. Married to Jeannette Poirier that summer, Mr. Blaisdell was then stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia and later Fort Kobbe in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1957, Mr. Blaisdell accepted a position with Raytheon Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts where he worked as part of the original Nike missile program. In 1964, after attending night school for 2 years, Mr. Blaisdell was granted an MBA from Boston College. He specialized in management and contracts management. A highly respected businessman, his career, in both the electronics and security systems industry, spanned over 45 years with leadership positions for a number of companies including, Varian Associates, Omni Spectra and Keltec. Through his career he traveled extensively working in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and throughout the Americas. In 2002, he retired at age 71 moving back to his home state of Maine. Mr. Blaisdell was a longtime resident of the Valley, moving here with his family in July 1968. All three of his children attended high schools in Tempe and graduated from Arizona State University. Mr. Blaisdell was an avid sports fan and enjoyed following both the Sun Devils and his Alma Mater the Black Knights of West Point. He will be remembered for his love of his family and a warmth and kindness that touched everyone he met. He was a patient, caring and thoughtful father, grandfather and a loving husband. His family will miss him greatly. In lieu of flowers his family has asked that contributions be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, Arizona 85014.