Thurman Blackburn

S. Thurman Blackburn, III, of Austin, Texas passed away September 27, 2007 at his home. Thurman was born January 11, 1945 in Dallas, Texas. He was the son of Sidney and Lois Blackburn. Thurman was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Kay Blackburn. Thurman is survived by Dinah, his wife of 39 years. He is also survived by his son Christopher and wife Suzanne Blackburn of Austin, daughter Julie and husband Randy Cunday of Hutchinson, Kansas, and daughter Sarah Blackburn of Austin. In addition, “Pappy” is survived by his grandchildren Alex and Zachary Blackburn, Chris Miertschin, Jr., and Casey and Joshua Luce. He is also survived by his brother Walt and wife Beki Blackburn, and brothers Joe, Zacciah, and Jerry Blackburn, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. And of course, we can’t forget his gin buddies. Though diagnosed with polio at the age of 18 months, Thurman never considered himself handicapped. His determination and positive outlook propelled him to numerous accomplishments throughout his youth. His proudest achievement was becoming an Eagle Scout. Thurman was a well known and respected member of the Austin real estate, political, and business communities for 37 years, from his early days of selling homes for Walter Carrington and Nash Phillips Copus, to founding and owning a successful land development company. In addition, Thurman spent countless hours volunteering, mentoring, and leading while involved with the Austin Board of Realtors, the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin, and the Real Estate Council of Austin as both a member and board member. He was recently honored by RECA with the creation of the Thurman Blackburn Community Service Project and Leadership Award. Thurman was a man of his word with a firm handshake, and a way with wisdom, wisecracks, and words. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. A memorial service celebrating Thurman’s life will be held on Monday, October 1, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Johns United Methodist Church, located at 2140 Allendale Road, with a reception immediately following at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Austin or to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com