John Kenneth Blasi, age 89, died on Saturday, September 21, 2013 at his home in Hemet, California. He was born March 6, 1924 in Cunningham, Kansas grew up on farms and attended schools near Pratt, Kansas and graduated from Pratt High School, where he was the captain of the football team. Each of his 5 brothers would follow him in that position. John joined the Navy not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served in the Armed Guard, protecting merchant marine vessels throughout the South Pacific. He was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries received during an attack at sea. While on leave in 1943, he married the love of his life, Gladys Lambert, of Kismet, Kansas.
After the war, he began working on oil and gas drilling rigs in Kansas and Oklahoma. He began at the bottom, working as "roughneck" on a drilling rig, but by age 33 had worked his way up to become Drilling Superintendent for Barbour Drilling Co. of Tulsa , Oklahoma, overseeing as many as 16 active drilling rigs in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. After his employer went out of business in 1963, John and his family moved to Liberal, Kansas and later to Fairview, Oklahoma. In these small towns he managed manufacturing and engineering for companies producing truck beds and small drilling rigs.
On his retirement, his wife Gladys and son Ricky (Coach) travelled the western United States for two years before settling in Hemet, California, to be close to their older son Gary, of Los Angeles, and his family. In his retirement, he had more opportunity to use his artistic talents, working both in oil paints and in metal sculpture. He also felt the need to continue working, so found part time employment in a small shop in Hemet manufacturing parts for egg processing equipment. When that shop closed, he continued to manufacture parts out of his garage. He continued to work well into his eighties.
John Blasi leaves to mourn his loss:
• his wife of 70 years, Gladys, of the home in Hemet
• Son Gary Blasi and wife Kit, of Los Angeles
• Grandson Michael, wife Beth and great-granddaughter Myla, of Los Angeles
• Grandson Jeremy and wife Nancy, of Los Angeles
• Brother Bill Blasi, of Liberal, Kansas
• Brother Bob Blasi and wife Ann, of Conifer, Colorado
• An extended family of nephews and nieces and dear friends both in Kansas and California
Arrangements are being handled by Miller-Jones Mortuary & Crematory - Hemet, 1501 West Florida Ave., Hemet, CA.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of John Blasi can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (www.michaeljfox.org).
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17