Wm. Lance Blackstock passed away peacefully surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer on Sunday, October 28, 2012. Visitation will be Tuesday, October 30, 2012, from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm at Spry~Williams Funeral Home of Florence. The service will be Wednesday, October 31, at 11:00 am in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens, Florence, Alabama. Preceding him in death were his wife, Anne Cudabac Blackstock, parents, Ernest H. and Estelle Smith Blackstock; sister, Nelda Blackstock Rouse. Lance is survived by his wife, Cindy Dupree Blackstock, sons, W.L. “Dickie” Blackstock Jr., Gary Dale Blackstock, and Greg L. Woods (Amy); grandchildren, Lance, Rebekah, and Dustin Blackstock, Zack (Heather), Tamara, Katylin “K.K.”, and William Samuel Woods, and Mitchel Clements; great-grandchildren, Parker Woods, and Caley Clements; brothers, E.E. “Babe” Blackstock (Ann), and James A. “Bud” Blackstock (Ann). He was of the Baptist faith, a graduate of Coffee High School, and the North Alabama Electrical Joint I.B.E.W.–N.E.C.A. apprenticeship school as a Journeyman Wireman. He was a proud 50 plus years member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (I.B.E.W) local union 558 of Sheffield, Alabama, in which he was honored to serve it for 30 years as an officer, and for 24 years of it as its business manager and financial secretary. He served on various local union committees, trustee of the Southern Electrical Retirement Fund, and Trustee of the N.E.C.A.–I.B.E.W. Health and Welfare Fund. He was past president and delegate of the Alabama State Electrical Workers Association, past president and delegate of North Alabama Building and Construction Trades Council, past president and delegate of Shoals Central Labor Council, and Northwest Shoals Technical College advisory board. Lance was elected at the I.B.E.W. 100th anniversary 1991 convention in St. Louis, Missouri, and served 10 years on the I.B.E.W. The International Union Executive Council, he served on the Council Industrial Relations for the Electrical Construction Industry in Washington, DC., Board Director member of the National Electrical Benefit Pension Fund, in Washington, DC., served on the panel #14 and a member of the National Electrical Code for the Electrical Industry, and served by appointment by the Governor as a director on the Alabama State Electrical License Board. He was a Master Mason of Florence Lodge #14, 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, Chapter Member of Cahaba Shrine Temple, Muscle Shoals Shrine Club, Past Exalted Ruler and life member of Florence Elks Lodge 820, Florence Moose Lodge, and Shoals Democratic Club. Pallbearers are grandsons, and nephews; honorary pallbearers are all his friends (if any). Lance strived to help people and they be given a chance to be a good citizen, fair wages, retirement pensions, health care, and those he helped strive to pass it on to help others. Memorials may be made to Shriners Children Hospitals.
