1927
David
2017
David Blake
December 28, 1927 — August 26, 2017
David Michael Blake, 89, a long-time resident of Broomall, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on August 26, 2017 at Riddle Village.
Born in Attleboro, MA, he was the oldest child of David Edward and Marie Ida Poirier Blake. As the story goes, from 1st to 6th grade he walked 1 ½ miles to school. Reports vary on whether it was snowing or if it was uphill one or both ways. He began to work at 12 years old cleaning gutters at a local farm, before working as a newspaper delivery boy and then as an electrician's helper with his father. He graduated with 600 fellow students from Pawtucket East High School in June 1945 and joined the Coast Guard a week after graduation. While in boot camp in Manhattan Beach, NY, the Japanese surrendered and he was able to celebrate V-J night in Times Square. He denied he was in the famous photo.
After the war ended and with an honorable discharge, he again worked with his father before using the GI bill to enlist in the Rhode Island State College in Providence, RI. He graduated as an Electrical Engineer in 1951, becoming the first member of his family to attend and graduate from college. He was hired by General Electric in June of 1951, where he would work for 47 years before retirement.
In 1953, he was assigned to work at Ethan Allen Air Force Base in Burlington, VT. An avid golfer, he would frequently play at Burlington Country Club. It was on one of these outings that David met a woman who would soon become his wife, a nurse named Shirley Currier. They recently celebrated their 62nd year of marriage.
David and Shirley would have four children, eight grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. A dedicated baseball fan, he was able to attend the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies World Series clinching game in person, although nothing would compare to finally seeing his beloved Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. And 2007. And 2011. Family and friends were frequently reminded of the success of the teams from his Massachusetts roots.
David was extremely active in the community and volunteered with numerous organizations. He spent years preparing income tax returns for low-income seniors, was active with the Haverford High School robotics club, assisted in repairing talking book machines that were used by the visually impaired, served on the board for the Act 101 endowment program with Montgomery County Community College, and spent years organizing an annual golf outing that raised tens of thousands of dollars for Parkinson's Disease research.
David is survived by his dear wife Shirley, his children Shannon (Ken) Stober, David R. (Miriam) Blake, Sherri (Donald) Rice, and Sharlotte (Gregory Dark) Blake, and his eight grandchildren, Michael (Jill) Stober, Christopher (Kimberly) Stober, Kimberly (Matthew Hanline), Kyle Rice, Kelly Rice (Fiancé Kevin Anderson), Kristen Blake, David V. Blake and Oliver Dark, and four great grandchildren, Ava Hanline, Madison Hanline, Luke Stober and Savannah Stober. He is also survived by his brothers Joseph Richard Blake, Donald Lawrence Blake, Richard Francis Blake, and his sister Elaine Catherine Blake. He was predeceased by his sister, Muriel Irene Allenson. He was a tremendous family man and will be deeply missed by all those who had the chance to know him for his wonderful life.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit the family Wednesday, August 30, 2017 5:00-7:00 PM and Thursday, August 31, 2017 10:00-11:00 AM The Donohue Funeral Home, 3300 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA (610) 353-6300 and to his Funeral Service at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private.
Immediately following the Service, the Blake family would like to extend an invitation to an "Open House" at: The Rice Home, 44 Pine Tree Drive, Broomall, PA 19008.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in David's memory can be sent to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 555 Croton Road, Suite 111, King of Prussia, PA 19406 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014.
The Donohue Funeral Home
3300 West Chester Pike Newtown Square 19073, United States
Born in Attleboro, MA, he was the oldest child of David Edward and Marie Ida Poirier Blake. As the story goes, from 1st to 6th grade he walked 1 ½ miles to school. Reports vary on whether it was snowing or if it was uphill one or both ways. He began to work at 12 years old cleaning gutters at a local farm, before working as a newspaper delivery boy and then as an electrician's helper with his father. He graduated with 600 fellow students from Pawtucket East High School in June 1945 and joined the Coast Guard a week after graduation. While in boot camp in Manhattan Beach, NY, the Japanese surrendered and he was able to celebrate V-J night in Times Square. He denied he was in the famous photo.
After the war ended and with an honorable discharge, he again worked with his father before using the GI bill to enlist in the Rhode Island State College in Providence, RI. He graduated as an Electrical Engineer in 1951, becoming the first member of his family to attend and graduate from college. He was hired by General Electric in June of 1951, where he would work for 47 years before retirement.
In 1953, he was assigned to work at Ethan Allen Air Force Base in Burlington, VT. An avid golfer, he would frequently play at Burlington Country Club. It was on one of these outings that David met a woman who would soon become his wife, a nurse named Shirley Currier. They recently celebrated their 62nd year of marriage.
David and Shirley would have four children, eight grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. A dedicated baseball fan, he was able to attend the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies World Series clinching game in person, although nothing would compare to finally seeing his beloved Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. And 2007. And 2011. Family and friends were frequently reminded of the success of the teams from his Massachusetts roots.
David was extremely active in the community and volunteered with numerous organizations. He spent years preparing income tax returns for low-income seniors, was active with the Haverford High School robotics club, assisted in repairing talking book machines that were used by the visually impaired, served on the board for the Act 101 endowment program with Montgomery County Community College, and spent years organizing an annual golf outing that raised tens of thousands of dollars for Parkinson's Disease research.
David is survived by his dear wife Shirley, his children Shannon (Ken) Stober, David R. (Miriam) Blake, Sherri (Donald) Rice, and Sharlotte (Gregory Dark) Blake, and his eight grandchildren, Michael (Jill) Stober, Christopher (Kimberly) Stober, Kimberly (Matthew Hanline), Kyle Rice, Kelly Rice (Fiancé Kevin Anderson), Kristen Blake, David V. Blake and Oliver Dark, and four great grandchildren, Ava Hanline, Madison Hanline, Luke Stober and Savannah Stober. He is also survived by his brothers Joseph Richard Blake, Donald Lawrence Blake, Richard Francis Blake, and his sister Elaine Catherine Blake. He was predeceased by his sister, Muriel Irene Allenson. He was a tremendous family man and will be deeply missed by all those who had the chance to know him for his wonderful life.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit the family Wednesday, August 30, 2017 5:00-7:00 PM and Thursday, August 31, 2017 10:00-11:00 AM The Donohue Funeral Home, 3300 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA (610) 353-6300 and to his Funeral Service at 11:00 AM. Interment will be private.
Immediately following the Service, the Blake family would like to extend an invitation to an "Open House" at: The Rice Home, 44 Pine Tree Drive, Broomall, PA 19008.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in David's memory can be sent to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 555 Croton Road, Suite 111, King of Prussia, PA 19406 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014.
Visitation
Thursday, August 31, 2017 10:00 AM - 11:00 AMThe Donohue Funeral Home
3300 West Chester Pike Newtown Square 19073, United States
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