Joseph F. Blaszkow

Joseph F. Blaszkow

Age 81, of Newark, DE, passed away on the morning of July 31, 2011, at his home, in the presence of his family.

Mr. Blaszkow was born on July 11, 1930, in Rochester, New York, the son of Antoni Blaszkow and Rose Blaszkow. He was a 1947 graduate of St. Francis High School, in Athol Springs, New York, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in organic chemistry from St. John Fischer College in Rochester, and a master's degree in organic chemistry from Syracuse University.

He was inducted into the United States Army in 1951 and was later wounded in armed conflict in the Korean War, on March 30, 1952, receiving the Purple Heart. He recovered from his wounds at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Blaszkow met Elizabeth Ann Williams in 1953, while they were both working at Eastman Kodak, in Rochester. They were married at Blessed Sacrament Church in Rochester in 1955. On their honeymoon, the couple travelled to Washington, D.C., and ate at the famous Duke Zeibert's restaurant. In 1985, celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, they returned to the restaurant, meeting Mr. Zeibert at the time, who wanted to know why it had taken the couple so long to return. Married for fifty-six years, the couple lived, at various times, in Rochester and Newburgh, New York, in Nashville, Tennessee, and in Wilmington and Newark, Delaware.

Mr. Blaszkow spent thirty-seven years as a chemist with the E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company, where he was an expert in colors and pigments. In 1971, he was awarded a U.S. patent related to the fabrication of a synthetic shoe material. Later, he worked for a time in Poland and the United Kingdom. Mr. Blaszkow retired from DuPont in 1997.

Since retirement, Mr. Blaszkow and his bride Elizabeth have spent a great deal of time travelling, both in Europe and throughout the United States, frequently with various grandchildren in tow. Mr. Blaszkow was single-mindedly devoted to the interests and well-being of his children and grandchildren. Always a faithful fan, through thick and thin, he loved the Phillies and Eagles. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and served as a volunteer at the Wilmington VA Medical Center.

Mr. Blaszkow was predeceased by his parents and by his older brother, John. He remains lovingly remembered, and in the prayers of his wife Elizabeth, his three sons, Joseph, Thomas, and James, James's wife Lauri, his seven grandchildren Joseph, Timothy, Katherine, Melissa, Thomas, Emily, and James, his brother and sister-in-law Anthony and Diane, and nephews Peter, Caleb, and niece Margaret.

Mr. Blaszkow was a life-long, devout Catholic, and was an active member of the parish of St. Joseph's Church on the Brandywine, in Greenville, Delaware, since 1997.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, August 4 at 10 am, at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, 10 Old Church Rd., Greenville, DE. Burial will follow in the St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery. Family and friend may visit on Wednesday, August 3 from 6-8 pm at the DOHERTY FUNERAL HOME, 3200 Limestone Rd., Pike Creek.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Mr. Blaszkow to: The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 W. Evergreen Ave., Suite 204, Chicago, IL 60642.

To offer online condolences, visit
www.dohertyfh.com
302-999-8277