Wayne Gordon Blankenship

Wayne Gordon Blankenship, 99 years old, passed away on November 29th, 2024 surrounded by his family that loved him so very much. 

Memorial services will be at 2:00 on December 5th at Speaks Suburban Chapel, Independence, MO. Visitation will begin at 1:00. Burial with military honors will be at Mt. Washington following services. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Wayne’s name to a military charity – Fold of Honor, Wounded Warrior Project or the Veterans Community Project. 

Wayne is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of over 66 years, Retha, Independence, MO; son Michael, Independence, MO; daughter Michelle and husband Joseph Angotti and family, Lee's Summit, MO; and his last surviving brother, Carl Blankenship, Arkansas. His grandchildren held a special place in his heart - Justin, Taylor, Haley, and Mary Jo. 

He absolutely loved and adored each of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and they loved him, affectionately referring to him as Papaw. Wayne was preceded in death by his sons, Craig and Randy.

As a family we were blessed to have him as our father through all the joys and sorrows, always showing strength and dignity, never wavering from his love of family.

Wayne Gordon was born in Newburg, Arkansas on October 26th,1925, to Altha and Loren Blankenship; with seven brothers and one sister, during very hard times, their family depended on each other, and he never once forgot those values.

Wayne was a WWII Veteran and served with his unit in Europe during the Battle of the Bulge, throughout the Rhineland and central Europe until the war's end. He loved his country and was always so humble and respectful of what those days of service to his country meant. 

After the war, Wayne remained in the U.S. Army with orders sending him to Greenland. While on leave in Arkansas he courted Retha Cooper. They dated briefly and prior to his departure they married on Sept. 6th, 1958 in Independence, MO. The family grew and moved from Indiana to Okinawa, Japan to Maryland, and finally Independence, MO. Wayne retired as a Senior Master Sergeant from the army and jumped back into the labor force after accepting a position with the Jackson County Department of Corrections; he eventually retired from Jackson County as well in 1986.

Later in life Wayne embraced the game of golf with three hole in ones to his credit, and also found a hidden talent for baking pies. 

No words can properly convey how much he was loved and how he will always be remembered.