John Walter Blanke

John, or “Johnny”, was born on March 4, 1969 to Henry and Linda Blanke in Palm Beach, Florida. As a child, John and his family moved to Hollywood, Maryland where he was raised until joining the Air Force at 18 years old.

He was a proud veteran and served his country well, specializing in Avionics and Weapon Control Systems, even serving overseas during the Gulf War. He had an incredible work ethic, and was often well respected for that.

Once honorably discharged from service in 1994, his daughter was soon born and John built a life outside of the military in mechanical engineering and maintenance. With a very clever mind, John was known for tinkering and for his skill of building and/or maintaining anything. Whether it was furniture, motorcycles, cars, or anything in between, John had a precious gift of understanding how things worked. He always believed in functionality and practicality over form.

John was an incredibly compassionate and loving man. He felt things deeply and loved his family fiercely. John also loved animals - he had a soft spot for his dogs Diesel, Colt, and Maggie. When John made friends, they lasted a lifetime. His desires were simple: for his family to be cared for and for his home to be comfortable.

John leaves behind his daughter Tiffany Paunovic and her husband Alexander, and their children Owen, John, Charles, Samuel, and William; his long-time partner Lisa Batchelor and her sons Derek, Brad, and Chris Skinner. His mother, Linda Blanke and his brother, James Blanke; and his nephew Michael Blanke. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry R. Blanke, of Hollywood, MD.

Between the two, John and Lisa shared 12 grandchildren together, all of whom loved their Pawpaw and will forever miss his comforting embrace.

We rejoice in knowing John is with our Heavenly Father and that though the time without him will hurt, this is not a final “goodbye”; it’s a “see you later”.