Edwin "Ed" "Wynn" Blankinship

1942 - 2015

Edwin Blankinship passed away Sunday July 12, 2015 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chewelah. He was known as Ed, or by his family as "Wynn". He was 72-years-old and had lived in Chewelah since 1980.
Born  Sept. 27, 1942 in Tacoma, his father was Edwin Monroe Blankinship; mother, Ruth Evelyn Glew Blankinship; sister: Christine Valentini, Boulder, Colorado.
Stories from friends and family:
Chris Valentini, Ed's sister: I am 10 years younger than Ed is, and I called him Wynn. When I was four or five-years-old, he would cuddle me in the old rocking chair and rock me to sleep. I felt comforted by his tenderness towards me. He would let me follow him into the woods and talk to me about the forest. I felt protected. Around 1983, I became aware of assaults in my neighborhood. Ed insisted on finding me a gun and sent it to me. Matthew and I traveled up to Washington where we spent three days in firearms training and safety. Ed was so patient, kind and comprehensive. All the memories are making me smile.
John Miskanin, Chicago, Illinois: I served in the Navy with Ed for five years from 1960 until 1965 in Rota, Spain. Ed made his rank fast. It was almost unheard of to make Aviation Electricians Mate Second Class E5 in that length of time. We had great times in Spain.
Burke Hill, Phoenix, Arizona: I met Ed in Phoenix in the 1960's when he walked into my gun shop. We were fast friends from then on and went shooting together a lot. I made him his own custom pistol. Went to Washington a few years ago and spent a week with him at the hunting cabin. What a great time we had. He was a good shooting buddy.
Steve Hughett, Spokane: I met Ed in 1975; among our common interests was the sport of competitive combat shooting. I learned that Ed was somewhat of a shooting legend and if we were lucky, we might get an invitation to one of his competitive events in Sequim. Ed was a past graduate of the American Pistol Institute, better known as Gunsite. That fact alone carried a high degree of respect for the students who were lucky enough to be accepted by Jeff Cooper. Ed ranked number 11 out of an approximately 350 competitors who travelled to the Soldier of Fortune Shoot in Georgia to perform against the very best in a one-week three-gun competition.
Ed was the range master of the local gun range in Sequim and when not working at his regular job managing a gun shop, he taught the practical pistol technique to students who were willing to travel to Sequim. The next year, we started in early spring traveling to Oregon, Canada, Idaho, and Montana to participate in competitions. Ed had graduated at the top of his class, and that was why Jeff Cooper had asked him to come down and teach.
In Deer Park, Ed started shaping out the new Firearm Training Center with roads, a classroom, instructor's quarters, and everything else needed to open it to the public. We hosted our first class July 22, 1982 and taught every weekend throughout 1982 through 1987.
Ed McNett, Elma: I remember how we met because of his caring. He was looking for help obtaining archery equipment for a disabled client. Probably one of the longest internet friendships on record.
Jim Carvalho, Chewelah: Ed and I met in 2001 at my workplace. We hit it off right away when we starting talking about hunting. We were both traditional bow hunters. I had a spot in an apple orchard and could not use a tree stand and Ed suggested I use a ground blind. I bought one for early season, four feet across, but turned out it was not big enough. He advised me which one would be better and big enough to draw a bow. Therefore, I bought one for the late season and finally got that buck. Ed helped me get my first turkey in 2002 using one of his handmade turkey calls. He invited me up to his hunting cabin to hunt bear. I helped Ed get one of his bears out of there. We went hunting together whenever we could over the years. Ed would advise me where to set up my blinds, and of course, I saw more deer then. We shared our hunting spots and hunting knowledge. We also became good friends on a personal level and shared those experiences. We took the boys up to the cabin in 2013 to hunt bears too and had a great time. Ed was sensible, giving, and very humorous.
Pamela Wester, Chewelah: I met Ed in 2000 and thought, "who is that guy with a pony tail queue?" He hired me in 2001 to work for Rural Resources. I always knew Ed was proud of me and always was encouraging for my future.
Eddie Chumney, Jackson, TN: I am a hunter and we met online. Went to Washington to hunt with Ed and he gave me a piece of yew wood and vine maple. My Dad is making a walking cane with the wood.
Nephew Matthew Phillips: Uncle Ed gave me a rifle for Christmas when I was seven. In fifth grade, I spent a week in the summer with him. Memorable for tubing down the river, shooting, and ringworm.
Cousin Jennie Anderson Guadnola, Tacoma: My mom Esther and Ed's mom Ruth lived together when their husbands went off to the service in WWII. Ed lived with them for the first two to three years of his life. They doted on him, loving him and spoiled him.
John Gowaty, Pennsylvania: Ed and I became friends over the internet. It was a turkey feather trade for some of his handmade calls. I still have them and my son uses them every year. He sent little video clips and trail cam pictures. I always thought it was cool how he called his wife his "bride".
Dan Leep: I thought it was great that he referred to his wife as his "lovely bride". We met online in an archery community where we swapped archery equipment. We have been friends online for 20 years. Ed was a fine wood craftsman and I proudly own every style of turkey call he made. He had a great sense of humor, and sent many photos.
He married his "lovely bride" Rebecca Rae Rucker, at Cusick on Sept. 9, 1995. Rebecca at the time was a widow and had gone to Spokane to the dog pound to get a puppy in June 1995. She had picked out a puppy and paid for it and was waiting for the paperwork to finish, when a man walked into the room and asked if "she was going to get that dog." She said yes, and he responded, "I wanted that dog." He had been there the day before and wanted him. Well, Rebecca got the dog, but her mom said, "Ed only married her to get that dog." Buster was a Brittany spaniel and lived for 15 years. In September 2015, they would have been married 20 years.
Education: Lincoln High School, Tacoma.
Northern Arizona University
Arizona NRA Safety Instructor, 1972
Gunsite-Raven Corp 1977
WA Emergency Medical Technician 1982
Job Training Partnership Act Program 1993
University of Washington School of Social Work, Aging and Adult Services 1996-1997
Designations, awards, and other recognition
Navy Good Conduct Award , 1963
Honorable Discharge, Navy 1965
American Pistol Institute Expert Status 1977
Employment:
1970-1975 Lockheed Aircraft, Phoenix, Arizona
1975-1980 AAA Mobile Homes, Colville
1980-1983 Alert Network, Snohomish
1984-1986 Strike Management , Dallas, Texas
1986-1990 Consultants Plus, Inc.,Spokane, WA
1991-2001 Rural Resources Community Action, Colville
2006-2008 Sety's Ace Hardware, Chewelah
 Hobbies; reloading ammunition, collecting guns, designing and building traditional bows and arrows. Started up Gobblers End Turkey Calls, making custom turkey calls with engraving. He made scratch box calls, wing bone calls, etc.
Sports- Archery, Traditional, Recurve and compound ; shooting sports, hunting Bear, Cougar, Deer, Turkeys, Wild pigs
Activities; chairman, Northeast Washington "Read to Succeed" adult literacy Society for Human Resource Management
Pacific Northwest Personnel Management Assoc.
 Ed is survived by his spouse, Rebecca Rae Blankinship, Chewelah; siblings, Christine Valentini, sister, Boulder. Colorado; nephew, Matthew Phillips, Oregon; cousin, Jenni Guadnola, Tacoma; Jackie and Dennis Shea, Blanchard, Idaho; pets, Sweetie Pie, Ginger, and Gwendolyn the cat.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father, aunts, uncles and grandparents.
Funeral service will be held Friday, August 7, 3 p.m. at the Veterans Cemetery at Medical Lake.
Danekas Funeral Chapel of Chewelah is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials can be made to the Physically Challenged Bow Hunters of America 16211 Ovitt Rd.,Bowling Green, OH 43402, www.pcba-inc.org, or to a pet rescue organization like Becky Washington to Becky's Best Buddies 2323A Burnt Valley Rd. Chewelah, WA 99109, (509)935-6635.
Thank you to John Miskanin, Burke Hill, Steve Hughett, Ed Mc Nett, Jim Carvalho, Pamela Wester, Jennie Guadnola, Jackie and Dennis Shea. And to Camo'd Arrow Archery for the first annual Ed Blankinship Archery shoot. St. Joseph Hospital and Staff, for the love and caring they showed Ed.
Let the sun start to set, with my favorite bow at my side, doing what I enjoy most.
Three words that sum up Ed's life: Intelligent, caring, clever