Stephen Blackburn

WILKESBORO — Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Eugene Blackburn, US Army retired, departed this life on Saturday, June 27, 2015, after a short stay at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Steve was born on Dec. 2, 1937, in Wilkesboro to Sadie Juanita Blackburn and Millard (Slim) Kelley. He attended Damascus Baptist Church and Lincoln Heights High School. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Bonita Kelley. He leaves to mourn his two children, Stephen Blackburn and Juanita Blackburn of Columbus, Georgia; two grandchildren, Francesca Blackburn and Mia Mitchell; one great-grandchild, Keydan Vanzes; a brother, Leonard Tabor of Crofton, Maryland; a sister, Nancy K. Conley of Asheville; a niece, Tracy Tabor of Morrisville; a nephew, Mark (Anne) Tabor of Crofton; and a large extended family. He also leaves his family of long-time caregivers, Ervin and Paulette Norman and their children, Deidric (Christy) Norman, Cameron (Rhonda) Norman, Travis (Crystal) Norman, Jason (Kandace) Norman and Nickayla Norman, along with their 17 grandchildren. They have been extremely good to him. He always had help when he needed it. At the age of 16, Stephen and a good friend slipped off and joined the United States Army. During his 24 years of service to his country, he experienced world-wide travel and a wealth of knowledge. One of Steve's great experiences was guarding Adolph Hitler's Deputy Furher, Rudolph Hess, who was sentenced to life in prison by the Nuremburg Trial. Hess was incarcerated at Spandau Prison, and guarded by soldiers of the Four Powers in Berlin, Germany. Stephen loved being a member of the Airborne. It is estimated that he completed more than 500 jumps from the sky. They were called Sky Soldiers by the Japanese. He received many awards during his service, including the Parachutist Badge, Jump Master Certificate, Combat Infantry Badge, and two Bronze Stars. He served the last four years of his military career as an intelligence analyst at the Pentagon. Funeral services will be held Friday, July 3, 2015, at 1 pm. at the Reins Sturdivant chapel with the Rev. Jeanette Hayes officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home. Burial with full military honors by the United States Army will be at High View Cemetery. Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project, 4200 Morganton Road, Suite 300, Fayetteville, NC 28314. The family would like to thank Dr. Bradley Templeton and the staff of Riverside Medical Associates and the staff at the Villages of Wilkes for the exemplary level of care and respect shown to Stephen over the years. We also thank Harold, Kay and Allen Call for treating him like family.