Henry Evans Blanks

Henry was born in Stanford, KY on Friday, May 13, 1932, to Henry Herring Blanks and Jane Tucker Blanks. He grew up in and around Lincoln County where he worked on his father’s and neighboring farms. His father was a jack-of-all-trades, and Henry learned farming and many trades from him.

Henry graduated from Hustonville High School on May 18, 1950. While at Hustonville, he started dating Nancy Joyce Fox. In November 1950, he went to work at General Shoe in Danville, KY and worked there until he joined the United States Air Force.

While in the Air Force, he trained for Air Traffic Control. On September 11, 1952, he married Nancy Joyce before shipping out to Germany where he spent 2 years during the Korean War.

On November 30, 1955, with the rank of Staff Sergeant, he mustered out of the Air Force in Knoxville, Tennessee, after which he returned home to Nancy Joyce and General Shoe.

Henry was then accepted to the Air Traffic Control School in Oklahoma. After graduation, he worked at Memphis International Airport as an in-route controller and supervisor where he retired after 30 years. He remained in Memphis for the rest of his life.

Henry was a Blue-Blooded University of Kentucky fan, an avid golfer, landscaper, mower of yards and “mayor of Stornaway” where he surveyed his domain from his golf cart. He was a member of St. Matthews United Methodist Church and later Aldersgate United Methodist Church. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Henry was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Jane Tucker Blanks; sister, Elaine Neil; and his wife of 72 years, Nancy Joyce Fox Blanks. He is survived by his son, Keith Blanks; granddaughter, Taylor Nicole Kidd, and her husband, Holden Kidd; and 4 great-grandchildren: Brantley, Haelyn, Westin, and Oaklynn.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 22, from 1:00 PM until the funeral service at 2:00 PM, at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Burial will be at Moreland Cemetery, Moreland, Kentucky.