Michael David Blanchard's Obituary
Eulogy for Michael David Blanchard
Written by his older brother Paul Blanchard.
Michael was born on February 13, 1954 at Good Sam Hospital in Portland, Oregon. At the time of his birth our family was living in Carson Washington. Our home was in a rural area where we would play in the country side always joined by our family dog Tippy. Our family later moved to Odell Washington briefly and then to Roosevelt Washington for about a year. Our family then moved to Portland, Oregon where our father began his work for Multnomah Plywood. Unfortunately our father passed of colon cancer on 17 May, 1966. Mike and I were dedicated to taking care of our mother until her passing on 8 November 2008.
While I was away in the Air Force from March 1967 through December 1970 Mike was present at home to help our mother.
Both Mike and I attended and graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School, Mike class of 1972. Mike chose as his major Machine Shop which was the foundation for his professional career. Mike worked briefly with small machine shops before getting a position as a journeyman machinist at Bingham Willamette in Portland. When Bingham closed it's Portland Shop and moved to Shreveport Louisiana, Mike chose to stay in Portland and went to work for Boeing Portland. Mike was employed at Boeing for several years before his clinical depression began to take it's toll. Unable to handle the daily stress of working life he chose to simplify his existence and went to live in a low cost facility, Fairfield Manor in downtown Portland. When Fairfield closed for a remodel the Corporate entity sent him to another owned facility Dahlke Manor in S.E. Portland. As Mike's mental condition worsened he was finally sent to Sapphire Gracelen Care Center in S.E. Portland. While at Gracelen Mike was treated for depression and the onset of dementia. Mike was at Sapphire Gracelen when he passed on 15 December 2024.
In Mike's early years he had a happy childhood filled with all of the normal activities of a typical American childhood. Time spent with family gatherings especially around the Holidays was always fun. As his older brother I was able to help Mike obtain his drivers license, purchase his first car and later his first home. Mike and I enjoyed the auto hobby and in August of 1979 we purchased our first collector car together a 1957 Mercury Montclair. Subsequent collector cars followed, among the last was a 1969 Mercury Cyclone 428CJ. We were able to attend the Hot August Night's Cruise in Reno Nevada for two years in the Cyclone in 1990 and again in 1993. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences that Mike and I had as brothers. In one of the last conversations that I had with Mike, he asked me when we would be going to Hot August Nights again.
Among Mike's professional associates and friends he was known to be soft spoken and polite. Mike was a Christian whose faith in God was unshakeable. With our family history there is a beautiful heritage of Christian faith. In poverty and wealth, sickness and health, joy and trial with a steadfast belief in God.
How thankful we are that our heritage is one with eternal value, not resting on the shifting sands of human understanding but on the unshakeable absolutes of God's Holy Word.
I love you Mike, I miss you and I am looking forward to seeing you again on the other side.
Sincerely, your brother Paul Blanchard
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