Blanchard Oliver Johnson passed away peacefully at the Forest Grove Care Centre on October 1, 2009 at the age of 96 years. Blanchard is lovingly remembered by his second wife Gerda, his sons Gary (Joanne), Wayne (Bobbie), Rodney and his only daughter Karen (Renzo) and 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. He will be sadly missed by Gerda’s family, George (Linda), Thomas (Polly), Isabel (Frank), Monika (Jimmy), 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by Ethel, his first wife, in 1992, his three brothers and three sisters. Blanchard was born July 11, 1913 in Edberg, Alberta. He started off his career as a teacher in a one room classroom in Flatbush, Alberta, spent 12 years teaching in Drumheller and finished his career as a teacher at SAIT. In between his teaching he was a scaler in the woods, carpenter and an orderly at the Ponoka Mental Hospital where he met his first wife Ethel. There will be a private service at Eden Brook Memorial Gardens on Friday, October 30, 2009 . This will be followed by a “Celebration of Blanchard’s Life” at The Greater Forest Lawn Seniors Centre, 3425 – 26 Avenue SE, Calgary at 2:00 p.m. No flowers please. A special thank you to all the wonderful people at the Forest Grove Care Centre who took such good care of him. South Calgary Funeral Centre and Crematorium, 12700 Macleod Trail South, Calgary 403-297-0711 www.scfcentre.ca. Honoured Provider of Dignity Memorial
