Garland E. Blanchard
June 25, 1949-Aug. 23, 2015
Garland Earl Blanchard, 66, died Aug. 23, 2015, in Homer.
Garland was born June 25, 1949, in Bandon, Ore., to Harold and Jessie Blanchard. They later moved to Bay City, Ore. Garland had two brothers, Boyd Blanchard, Harold Blanchard Jr., and one sister, Corrine Gay Davidson.
Garland grew up in Bay City, Ore., and was one of the “ole Bay City boys” along with Frank Harper and Glenn Bell, to name a few. While Garland had too many friends to list, they remained his friends until the end. Garland attended Neakhanie High School where he enjoyed a great football career and graduated from Neakhanie in 1968. He built the F/V Joleen in 1977 and later moved to Homer in 1981 to continue his career as a third-generation commercial fisherman in the waters of Alaska, a love of fishing that he inherited from his father Harold. He drove the F/V Joleen to Homer with his crew, and his family shortly followed.
Garland continued crabbing in Kachemak Bay for Dungeness crab, and as he was in all things in his life, he worked hard to be one of the best. In his lifetime Garland fished an array of fisheries to include Prince William Sound seining, halibut and cod long-lining, herring seining, salmon set-netting, king crab and to finalize his career as a Cook Inlet drift fisherman with his family on deck of the boat, F/V Savannah Dawn, which he and his son Josh rebuilt. While not excelling at all fisheries, he was proud of his career of being a highliner Dungeness crab, fisherman and a highliner salmon gillnetter for his cannery until the end.
Garland was preceded in death by both his parents, Harold and Jessie, and his brother, Harold Jr.
Garland is survived by his wife, Elaine “Midge” Chalup-Blanchard of Homer; his son, Joshua Dean Blanchard of Homer; his daughter, Joleen Dawn McKinney of Yelm, Wash.; his grandchildren, Savannah Dawn, Kolton Christopher, Courtney Ann, Iver, Theron, Coleman and Hollie Chalup, all of Anchorage, and Emily Chalup of Homer; his brother, Boyd Blanchard of Salem, Ore.; his sister, Corrine Gay Davidson of Florence, Ore., and his faithful companion, Renegade Rex. He now joins his beloved dog, Bingo.
A potluck celebration of life is planned for noon-4 p.m. Oct. 3, 2015, at the Otter Room. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his gofundme.com, or a donation in his name to the Seafarers Memorial for a brick in his memory, or donations can be made to The American Cancer Society-Alaska.
“It is what it is. Now it’s time to go fishin’,” Garland Blanchard said.
Arrangements were by Peninsula Memorial Chapel.
