Thomas "Tom" Dudley Blanton

Tom was born in Greensboro, NC and raised by his dedicated mother, Thelma. From a young age, he was a determined entrepreneur and knew the path he wanted to blaze. After serving his country in the Army, and making sure no enemy planes got by him in Germany, he came home and worked tirelessly to build his company with his partner, Larry Lewis. He served as the Vice President of Lewis Systems, Inc for over 40 years. He dedicated his whole life to the success of this company and was extremely proud of what they achieved. The staff at Lewis Systems became family and he greatly appreciated every single one of them.

When Tom wasn’t working, he was a devoted family man and enjoyed being with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. He loved spending quality time with them at the family lake house at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. This home served as a place where he could truly relax and you could always find him sitting at the dock, taking in the views. He was the best boat driver and could always find the perfect wake to hit to toss his children or grandchildren off the tube. He also enjoyed spending time at the family condo in Myrtle Beach during his retirement. The entertainment – especially the Alabama Theater - kept him busy and he was very fond of the music. He was an avid fan of NC State Basketball and would never pass up a lazy Sunday to sit back in his recliner and watch golf or NASCAR.

Tom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2021 and with the help and support of his family, he was able to enjoy the last years of his life to the fullest. He spent his last few months at Countryside Manor in Stokesdale and the family would like to share their deepest sense of gratitude to the staff. They treated Tom with compassion and dignity and the family is so grateful for them.

He will be greatly missed by all that knew him.

Tom was preceded in death by his grandmother, Mary Chilton, mother, Thelma Blanton and sister, Brenda Spencer. He is survived by his wife, Sue Blanton, his daughters, Teri Schlosser (Jeff), Melissa Lopez (Manny), Amanda Blanton-Hawkins (Russell), and Andrea Saenz (Alex), his nine grandchildren: Christian, Julian, Gabriel, Isabella, Sophia, Gabriella, Everett, August and soon to arrive grandson, Baby Hawkins, and his brother, Alan Blanton.

The visitation will be at Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home on 515 N Elm St, Greensboro, NC 27401 on Saturday, September 6th from 3:00 – 5:00pm. There will be a private burial service for the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or Muir’s Chapel United Methodist Church are much appreciated.