Lydia A. Blanchard

Lydia Blanchard, Distinguished Professor Emerita of English at Texas State University, San Marcos, died on Friday, May 17, 2019 in Austin, Texas. She was 82 years old. Dr. Blanchard was chair of the Department of English at Texas State from 1993 – 2005, serving on the English faculty from 1983 until her retirement in 2007.

Dr. Blanchard is survived by her beloved husband Melvin Louis Eckhoff and by her two sons and their families – Robert and Tricia Blanchard, and sons Tyler and Soren; and Timothy Blanchard, and daughter Madeline and son Logan. She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Carol and Donald Madura of Highland, Indiana, and by her brother and sister-in-law, George and Janet Burman of Syracuse, New York, and by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins and step-children. Her family was her joy.

Dr. Blanchard was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 8, 1937, and grew up in Whiting, Indiana. She graduated from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, with a B.S. (1957) and M.S. (1958) in journalism; she earned the M.A. in literature from The American University in Washington, D.C., in 1971, and the Ph.D. in literary studies in 1973. She also taught at Pennsylvania State University and Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C., among other institutions.

Dr. Blanchard published extensively on the work of D. H. Lawrence and other modernist writers, including Virginia Woolf; served as President of the D. H. Lawrence Society from 1992 – 1994; and presented papers on Lawrence at a number of international and national conferences. In addition to chairing the Department of English at Texas State, Dr. Blanchard served the university as Director, Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies for six years; Director of Planning, School of Liberal Arts for four years; and Acting Director, Center for the Study of the Southwest for a year. She received more than $500.000 in grant funding from agencies such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Ford Foundation, and the Meadows Foundation to support such projects as curriculum development in Southwestern Studies, establishment of the Center for the Study of the Southwest, and endowment of the Distinguished Teaching Professorship in the Humanities. Her service to the university also included co-chair of the President’s Council for Women in Higher Education, from 1995 – 2004, as well as chair of the Council of Chairs. She was a Faculty Senator. She also served as panelist for NEH and reader for the Publications of the Modern Language Association. Her work received numerous awards, including the Texas State Presidential Award for Excellence in Research.

After she retired, Dr. Blanchard became active in the Capital Area Parkinson’s Society, serving as newsletter editor, secretary, and office manager of that organization. After moving to Westminster Manor, she developed new interests in writing poetry and painting.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Capital Area Parkinson’s Society, P.O. Box 27565, Austin, Texas 78755.