Ramona B. Blankenship

Ramona Bailey Blankenship, loving mother and grandmother, passed away on Friday, January 22, 2021. She was born on December 1, 1942 in Urbana, Ohio to Stanley B. Bailey and Mable Hope Bailey and was raised in Columbus, Georgia. Ramona graduated from Columbus High School in 1961. She began her professional career as an administrative assistant at Aldridge Borden & Co., a Montgomery based Certified Public Accounting firm in 1963. As her career advanced with successor CPA firms Blankenship, Lamar, Gilliland & Hicks; Wilson, Price, Barranco, Blankenship & Billingsley and Warren Averett, Ramona became a member of the professional accounting staff, ultimately obtaining her certification in 1990 as an Enrolled Agent, a professional tax advisor designation authorized by the U.S. Treasury. She served many of the firm’s key clients for over 30 years providing them with expert advice and close personal service.

During her professional career, she became involved with many civic and charitable organizations for which she was passionate, especially the Family Guidance Center of Alabama, Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama, Lighthouse Counseling Center, Montgomery Medical Clinic Board of City of Montgomery, Central Alabama Laubach Literacy, and Soroptimist International, holding executive Board positions for each. Ramona was a graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Class XXI. She truly loved people and never met a stranger. She touched everyone she knew with her loving heart and warm smile that would light up a room. She mentored many young accountants and was very wise beyond her years. Ramona blessed everyone who was a part of her full and beautiful life.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Louie E. Blankenship; son, Jeffrey H. Blankenship; and her parents. Survivors include her son, Richard Blankenship; daughter, Riki Franklin (Buck); grandsons, R. Scott Blankenship (Jennifer), Connor Franklin, Tyler Franklin; great granddaughters, Railyn Blankenship, Charlotte Blankenship; siblings, Stan Bailey (Annette), Sylvia Seferian (Joe), both of Columbus, Georgia, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at 1:00pm on Monday, February 1, 2021 at Leak Memory Chapel with a Graveside Service at 2:00pm at Greenwood Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Scott Blankenship, Connor Franklin, Tyler Franklin, Ed Blankenship, Will Cannon, and Ryan Davis. Honorary pallbearers are the staff of Warren Averett and her sisters in Soroptimist International.

The family will accept flowers or memorials may be made to your favorite charity.