Richard "Buddy" Blanton

1931 - 2021

Richard "Buddy" Blanton

August 5, 1931 - March 30, 2021

Richard "Buddy" Blanton, age 89 of Whitney passed away Tuesday, March 30, 2021 in Whitney. A funeral service under the direction of Marshall and Marshall Funeral Directors will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, April 3, 2021 at the Cedar Creek Baptist Church in Whitney with Pastor Wade Yarbro officiating. Burial will follow at Whitney Memorial Park in Whitney.

Buddy or Bud as those who knew him and loved him was born August 5th, 1931 in the Harvey Community in Brazos County to Guy and Mamie Ward Blanton. He grew up in the Bryan/College Station area and attended Stephen F Austin High School where he loved to play football. He joined the Air Force when he was 17 by having his mother unknowingly sign that he was 18 and was stationed in Okinawa Japan for 2 ½ years. He married Nora Kissinger April 11th, 1967 in Whitney, TX. He was an Electrical Power Lineman and later a Crew Foreman for many years and worked all over Texas. He would often comment when driving by different areas in Texas 'we strung those lines that you see there'. After his retirement Buddy helped build the Cedar Creek Baptist Church in Huron and was happy that he was the first person to be baptized in the new church. He was very proud of the work that he did. He would say 'A job worth doing is worth doing right'. Buddy loved fishing, camping, woodworking and reading Louis L'Amour books. He loved to watch high school football and spent many years at games at Baker Field watching children and grandchildren cheerlead and play football there.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Guy and Mamie, brother, Guy Blanton, Jr (Sonny), sisters, Juanita (Bill) Tedrow, Colleen Barnes and Winifred Dean Bienski and daughters, Amy Blanton, Kay Hope and Becky Blanton.

Buddy is survived by his loving wife Nora Edna Blanton of Whitney, sister Mae York of Austin, Daughters, Cindy Franco of Bryan, Pat Martin of Whitney, Alice Scott and husband John of Whitney, Mitsy Lopez of Bryan and sons, Dennis 'Duke' Blanton and his wife Pam of San Angelo and Jim Norris of San Antonio, 13 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. Visitation will be held Friday night from 6-8pm at Marshall and Marshall Funeral Home in Whitney.

Memorials made be made to Cedar Creek Baptist Church in Huron, TX. The family would like to thank Town Hall Estates for their loving care of Buddy and the love and support given over the past year and in this loss. They would also like to thank Tammy Arnold with Elara Caring Hospice (there are no words that can express how we feel), Lana and the rest of the Elara Caring Hospice staff.