Richard M. Blankenship
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Richard M. Blankenship, 76, of Hillsboro, passed away Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at Hospice of Cincinnati.
He was born in Fleming, Ky. on Aug. 10, 1940, the son of the late Stanley Ernest and Lula (Alley) Blankenship.
Mr. Blankenship was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Hillsboro and served as superintendent at the St. Mary's Catholic School. He was a 4th-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the B.O.P. Elks Lodge 361 and a member the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1161.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Central State University, his master's degree from the University of Cincinnati and his educational administration degree from Xavier University. He served as an assistant special teams coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Richard had taught at Southern State Community College and East Clinton High School. In 1976, he was employed by the Finneytown Local Schools as the physical education teacher at Brent and Cottonwood Elementary Schools. In addition to teaching, during his time with Finneytown he started the tumbling team and held various coaching positions in the district football, swimming and track programs. Richard coached recreational volleyball, elementary intramural sports and elementary gymnastics. He also served in curriculum development for the district physical education program. He would be remembered by past fifth-grade students as a camp supervisor, a role he assumed in 1983 and continued even in his retirement until 2010.
Richard retired from teaching in Finneytown in 2003. In his letter to the Finneytown Board of Education announcing his retirement, Richard stated “I will miss being with students and parents, but it’s time to hang up my gym shoes.”
He is survived by three children, Rob (Sonya) Blankenship of Hillsboro, Denise (Charles) Brooke of St. Petersburg, Fla. and Michelle (Eric) Hiatt of Louisville, Ky., 10 grandchildren, Ashley Blankenship, R.J. (Tiffany) Blankenship, Holly (Mike) Dobie, Kevin Claypool, Brian (Laura) Claypool, Austin Brooke, Jamison, Jake, Jackson and Ella Jayne; one great-grandson, Lucas Claypool; one sister, Judy (Bill) Henning of West Chester; three sisters-in-law, Rita K. Blankenship of Hillsboro, Peggy Blankenship of Xenia and Linda Wright of Indianapolis, Ind.; his longtime companion, Carol Pence of Cincinnati; and several nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 10 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Hillsboro. Father Mike Paraniuk will be the celebrant. Burial, with military honors presented by the Highland County Veterans Honor Guard, will follow in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday from noon-2 p.m. at the Turner & Son Funeral Home in Hillsboro.
Memorials may be made to the Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati, Ohio 45263-3597.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc.
He was born in Fleming, Ky. on Aug. 10, 1940, the son of the late Stanley Ernest and Lula (Alley) Blankenship.
Mr. Blankenship was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Hillsboro and served as superintendent at the St. Mary's Catholic School. He was a 4th-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the B.O.P. Elks Lodge 361 and a member the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 1161.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Central State University, his master's degree from the University of Cincinnati and his educational administration degree from Xavier University. He served as an assistant special teams coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Richard had taught at Southern State Community College and East Clinton High School. In 1976, he was employed by the Finneytown Local Schools as the physical education teacher at Brent and Cottonwood Elementary Schools. In addition to teaching, during his time with Finneytown he started the tumbling team and held various coaching positions in the district football, swimming and track programs. Richard coached recreational volleyball, elementary intramural sports and elementary gymnastics. He also served in curriculum development for the district physical education program. He would be remembered by past fifth-grade students as a camp supervisor, a role he assumed in 1983 and continued even in his retirement until 2010.
Richard retired from teaching in Finneytown in 2003. In his letter to the Finneytown Board of Education announcing his retirement, Richard stated “I will miss being with students and parents, but it’s time to hang up my gym shoes.”
He is survived by three children, Rob (Sonya) Blankenship of Hillsboro, Denise (Charles) Brooke of St. Petersburg, Fla. and Michelle (Eric) Hiatt of Louisville, Ky., 10 grandchildren, Ashley Blankenship, R.J. (Tiffany) Blankenship, Holly (Mike) Dobie, Kevin Claypool, Brian (Laura) Claypool, Austin Brooke, Jamison, Jake, Jackson and Ella Jayne; one great-grandson, Lucas Claypool; one sister, Judy (Bill) Henning of West Chester; three sisters-in-law, Rita K. Blankenship of Hillsboro, Peggy Blankenship of Xenia and Linda Wright of Indianapolis, Ind.; his longtime companion, Carol Pence of Cincinnati; and several nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 10 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Hillsboro. Father Mike Paraniuk will be the celebrant. Burial, with military honors presented by the Highland County Veterans Honor Guard, will follow in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday from noon-2 p.m. at the Turner & Son Funeral Home in Hillsboro.
Memorials may be made to the Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati, Ohio 45263-3597.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.turnerfuneralhomes.cc.