Francis (Frank) John Blanzy passed away March 22, 2024, on the morning of his 90th birthday in Spring Hill, TN
Born March 22, 1934, in Gingellville, Michigan to Leo Gerard and Pearl Helen Blanzy, Frank was the eighth of ten children and grew up in a close-knit family that loved music, sports, and the great outdoors. He graduated from Lake Orion High School in 1952 and joined the US Navy serving during the Korean War. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart, Virginia (Jinny) Mallet and they began their own family the following year.
After leaving the service, he began his apprenticeship as a journeyman electrician and worked for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for nearly forty years. Frank and Jinny made their home in the small town of Remus, Michigan and raised their five children there on a small family farm. Upon retiring, Frank and Jinny moved to Tennessee to escape those Michigan winters.
Aside from his family, Frank had three passions in life: gardening, country music, and hockey. Blessed with an amazing green thumb, he planted a huge garden every year while in Remus, and later in Tennessee, his front yard was the envy of the neighborhood as he focused on his true love – flowers. Also blessed with a keen musical ear, every family gathering was eventually accompanied by sing-alongs around the campfire or kitchen table with the songs of Hank Williams, Roger Miller or Johnny Cash, or many American Standards, with Frank singing and playing guitar, or joining in on harmonica. An avid hockey fan, he bled the red and white of the Detroit Red Wings and later adopted the Nashville Predators after moving to Tennessee. Whenever anyone claimed that Wayne Gretzky was the greatest hockey player of all time, Frank would just say…”you get six Wayne Gretsky’s, I get six Gordie Howes, let’s drop the puck and we all know which team wins”.
Frank is preceded in death by his parents Leo and Pearl (Basinski) Blanzy; his siblings, Margaret (Mersino), Gerard, Leona, Eugene, Daniel, Rita (Schroeder), Catherine “Marie” (Livingston), and Thomas; and his wife of nearly 53 years, Virginia.
Frank is survived by his brother Theodore; his children Michael, Mark (Caren), Andy (Kim Burnell), James (Jessica) and Sara Harris (Dale); grandchildren Derek (Kelly), Diane, Tara Lackey (Jesse), Aryn, Danielle, Derrick Carson, Samuel, Anna, Corban, and Allison; 12 great grand children and many nieces and nephews.
The sun shines a little less brightly today. He will be missed.
Per his request there will be no services. Frank and Jinny’s ashes will be spread together at a later date in Michigan.
