Blake Jason Cannon

A Public Viewing will be held on Friday, March 6th from 6:30 - 8:00pm at Einan's at Hillcrest, 9353 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, WA. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, March 7th from 10:30am - 11:30am with a viewing starting at 9:30am at the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints 724 N. Pittsburgh St. Kennewick, WA. Graveside services will be from 12:20-1:00pm at Desert Lawn Memorial Park 1401 S. Union St., Kennewick, WA.

Blake Jason Cannon was born on February 27, 1991, in Richland, Washington, to Claudia and Scott Cannon. The youngest of eight children, he was a late addition to an already sizeable clan of six brothers and one sister.

Blake attended Sunset View Elementary and Desert Hills Middle School. In 2009, he graduated from Kamiakin High School, where he sang concert choir. In 2010, he was called to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' Missouri Independence Mission. He served honorably for two years and survived an unfortunate over-the-handlebars bicycle accident that drove a front tooth straight up into his gums. For months after, Blake often preferred to sport a gapped-tooth smile rather than wear the false tooth flipper a generous local dentist provided him.

This was typical of Blake, to eschew things purely aesthetic or artificial. He lived simply, dressed simply, drove a decidedly unflashy Ford Fiesta, and gave up on nothing until well past the serviceable lifespan (his footwear was sometimes more hole than shoe). Simply put, Blake was keenly attuned in life to what matters most. Material things failed to hold his interest.

In 2017, Blake graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Hired that same year by HMIS at the Hanford Site, Blake returned to Kennewick to work as an IT engineer. Outside his time in Missouri and Utah, he lived at home his entire life.

Born with a congenital heart defect, Blake spent much of his first four years tethered to an oxygen machine. Despite this, he was always buoyant, playful and eager to laugh. He underwent three open-heart surgeries: the first at four years of age at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, then at 14, Seattle Children's, and at 27, University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He faced each major surgery, and the aftermath of difficult recovery, with characteristic courage, endurance, and empathy-even when it was Blake on the operating table, he wanted to make sure you weren't worried about him.

He was born also with a defect of his right hand and arm, for which he underwent surgery at the age of five at Primary Children's in Salt Lake City. Blake refused to let his physical encumbrances hold him back. He learned to slalom ski, wakeboard, play the violin and the piano, on which he was largely self-taught. He lifted weights and ran distance. When no one else was hearty enough (or foolhardy, depending on who you're asking) to brave the frigid ocean, Blake might be found body-crashing into the surf of the Washington Coast at Benson Beach in Ilwaco. He put his engineering chops to use, fabricating an elongated metal gear shift that enabled him to drive stick in his Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta was classic Blake-unassuming, practical, yet custom, wholly original.

An Eagle Scout at 16, Blake dedicated much time and resources to volunteering work. In high school, he played the piano for residents of assisted living communities. In later years, he volunteered for the Habitat of Humanity, as a Guardian Ad Litem for the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, and most recently at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society. Blake was long a lover of animals, himself an owner and caretaker of many cats.

Though unwaveringly generous, Blake was also intensely private. He drafted a novel, and somehow managed to keep this fact from most of his family. No one was privy to his relationship status. He played the piano beautifully, though rarely if ever in front of an audience. He programmed apps in his spare time and had enrolled at Arizona State University where he was studying for an online master's in computer science. He loved also reading, music, fishing, boating, camping, and above all else, his family.

Blake was devoted in particular to his parents. He enjoyed monitoring his father's physical activity and sugar intake. One of his apps in fact charted his father's movement and sounded an alarm when he needed spurring. Twenty nieces and nephews adored their uncle Blake and often used him as a human jungle gym. He played tirelessly, with patience and kindness. Blake was always quick to smile, quick to laugh, quick to lend his hand. He rarely missed a family outing or activity. He was, his entire life, a much-loved youngest son and baby brother.

Early on the morning of his 35th birthday, February 27, 2026, Blake passed away at home in Kennewick, Washington. Whatever the physical deficiencies of his heart, Blake more than made up for them in how he lived. He loved wholeheartedly. He loved with the heart he was given.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Benton-Franklin Humane Society.